A Royal Engagement
by Suzapalooza
Summary: Will Sookie have to give up her dreams of finding love and having children when Niall tells her she is the only hope for the fae and must marry an old and powerful vamp she's never met so that the 2 allies will forever be bonded? Begins pre-DUD. AU.
1. Chapter 1

A/N 1: I popped my writing cherry with the Poppin' Cherries Contest (more details at the bottom) and that gave me the extra "umph" to start writing and posting a multi chapter story. I'm pretty excited about this story so I hope y'all like it. Many, many thanks to my incredibly awesome beta, Miss Construed. She's perfect and I played with this when she was finished so I claim full responsibility for any mistakes in this thing.

Disclaimer: CH owns these characters, I just own a 6 year old laptop and a 17 year old car so please don't so sue me, it's not worth your time, really.

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"You want me to do _WHAT_!?!"

I could not believe what I had just heard from my great-grandfather's mouth. Had I dropped into some _Twilight Zone_? I knew that there were other dimensional worlds, so it was entirely possible that I had been kidnapped and taken to one.

"Great-grandfather, you do realize that this is the twenty-first century, right? Arranged marriages were done away with even before women got the right to vote!"

"Yes, Sookie, but you forget that the supernatural world operates on a much older system of governance. Besides, human royals still form marriages based on alliances, and you are of royal blood," Niall, my great-grandfather, calmly responded.

"But…but…" I could not think of an appropriate response and looked to Gran for help. Surely my very human grandmother, who had raised me since I was seven, would take my side, wouldn't she?

"Don't look at me, dear. You are just as much a part of the fae world as you are of the human world. Niall has explained to both of us why this is needed," Gran told me. _Traitor_.

Oh yes, Niall had explained quite clearly how we got to this point. The fae were being attacked too often for his liking in Louisiana. Vampires find fae blood to be intoxicating - it is essentially a drug to them, or a really great glass of cognac. It is difficult for younger vampires to be in the same room as a faerie without succumbing to this intoxication and wanting to drain the faerie, so faeries and vampires don't mingle. This is also why I had not spent much time around vampires. While I was only one-eighth fae, I did spend a lot of time with my cousin and best friend, Claudine, who was 100% faerie. If I met a vampire smelling of faerie, it could potentially be disastrous. So I avoided them. Besides, I wasn't really too keen on hanging out with someone whose only interest in sitting down to dinner with my family was to decide which member to dine on first.

For the most part, fairies and vampires co-existed somewhat peacefully. However, it seemed as though a group of vampires were actively hunting fairies in Louisiana. Niall was forced to take drastic measures; he knew of an incredibly old vampire in a position of authority who was also seeking to take over Louisiana. They were currently negotiating terms of forming an uncommon alliance between fae and vampires. The fae and all of their interests would be protected in his area, which would extend to all of Louisiana once he became king, and in turn, the fae would be his allies whenever needed and would help him takeover the throne when the time came. To cement their alliance, a marriage was necessary between the two groups and since the vampire was male, Niall had to choose one of his female kin; I was pretty much his only option. For obvious reasons, it could not be one of his kin that was fully faerie. I had enough human blood that I was not in danger of being drained, at least unintentionally. On top of everything else, Niall wanted to make sure that I was a virgin and was requiring me to stay that way until the wedding so that not only could my future vampire husband have the honor of my maidenhood, but also to ensure that our family would not be dishonored if either party were to back out of alliance before the wedding. _Oh joy._

I guess lucky for Niall, my telepathy pretty much negated any chance of me giving it up to a human male. You try having sex with someone when you can hear his every thought. Go on. Yeah, I couldn't do it either. The moment loses all the passion in the world when you can hear how he wishes you would hurry up and get him off, or you would stop being so shy and let him just feel you up already. _Very romantic_.

I didn't know where my telepathy came from; just that it was not part of my fae heritage. I didn't even learn about my fae heritage, or the existence of other supernatural (Supes for short) creatures, until my parents died when I was seven years old. Until then I just thought I was a freak and so did everyone else. People were afraid to be around someone who answered questions they hadn't voiced; even my parents tended to shy away from me a bit. They had taken me to see a psychologist but, despite her knowing the truth, she told my parents I was just good at reading body language. Living with my telepathy was not easy until I found out about my fae heritage.

Being part fae helped me learn better control over my gift. I practiced my telepathy along with all of my other fae abilities – teleportation, potions, and some basic magick. Along with igniting my fae spark, I also got the gift of fae longevity, which is uncommon for most people with as little faerie blood as I had, but the Brigant bloodline was strong, as was my "spark."

I loved being part fae, even if it was only a small part. I loved being Niall's great-granddaughter and a princess of the fae. I loved all of my fae family - well the ones Niall introduced me to -and my fae friends that I had gained over the years. I loved helping out with problems or situations whenever I could, but all of that had just come to bite me in the butt.

Especially when Niall pulled out the guilt card.

"My beloved great-granddaughter, do you not want to see your people better protected? Do you not want to do what you can to help your people? You are of royal Brigant blood. It is your duty to protect your people.

"I will not force you to enter into this marriage, but you will disappoint me greatly by not doing so. Your people need you," Niall gently said to me.

"Great-grandfather, you are devious. You really know how to lay on a guilt trip," I replied back. He was a picture of innocence. _Figures_.

"Can this man, this vampire, learn to love me? What kind of marriage will this be if he does not even care for me? I wanted to marry for love and have children, and I thought you wanted me to marry a faerie and have children as well. Am I suddenly not good enough to carry on the Brigant line because I'm too human? So you pawn me off on a vampire so I have no hope of ever having children!" I had worked myself up, going from actually considering what Niall was asking to being hurt and angry that he was asking it of me.

"Child, please calm down," Niall chided me. "You are still one of my beloved. If you wish to have children, I will find a way for you to have them and we will settle that with your husband when the time comes. You are correct, I did wish to see you mated with a fae, but as it is, you are our only option for this alliance. Without a marriage to bind both parties to one another, either party could back out at any time. We have tried other ways in the past, all to no avail. You are our only hope in this and it is important that the fae, and our interests, are protected in Louisiana. We have important structures and businesses here, as well as many portals and glens. We cannot leave this area."

With that, I began to cry. I couldn't help it; I had no choice. If I didn't go through with this, I was turning my back on my people and leaving them unprotected. If I did go through with this, I was turning my back on my hopes and dreams. It seemed to be a no-win situation for me.

I looked up at my great-grandfather, with tears in my eyes, and whispered, "Okay, I will do this. If there is no other choice, then there is no other choice. I can't and won't turn my back on our people." I walked to my bedroom, shut the door, and climbed onto my bed and cried myself to sleep.

I awoke the next morning with a hangover, though not the alcohol induced kind. It was the kind you get when you cry your heart out all night and eventually fall asleep on a pillow drenched with your own tears.

At first, I hoped last night had all been some horrible nightmare, but my headache and damp pillow told me that it had actually happened. I was giving up love and children to marry a man I had never met, a man who could never give me children, and a man who was very likely incapable of ever loving another being. I was doing all of this because it was the only way to ensure the protection of my fae kin.

I slowly and gingerly crawled out of bed. Every muscle ached as I had curled myself into a ball, and apparently stayed that way the entire night. I decided a hot shower was the first order of business and went off to take care of that.

When I had finished showering and getting dressed, I emerged from my bedroom to the smell of a wonderful breakfast being prepared. I made my way to the kitchen and my Gran immediately pulled me into a comforting hug. Before I started crying again, I pushed away and sat down at the kitchen table to watch Gran cook. She set a cup of coffee in front of me and finished what she was doing.

When she was done, the table was filled with homemade cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit salad. I was sure Gran was incapable of making a small or simple meal, but the cinnamon rolls clued me into the fact that she had done this just for me. Gran's cinnamon rolls were my favorite, and my ultimate comfort food.

We said grace and began eating. We had just loaded up our plates when Gran began to talk. "Sookie, dear, I know this is hard on you and not what you or I had envisioned for you future, but I want you to know that I am still so proud of you. I'm proud of you for doing the right thing and doing what you can to help protect the fae."

"But Gran, don't you think this is all a little crazy and old-fashioned? What happen to all you have taught me about being a strong, independent woman?" I asked her. It's true. She had always taught me that a woman didn't need a man to get things done or to support herself or her family. She taught me that Stackhouse and Hale women were strong.

"And what makes you think that by doing this you are being weak or losing your independence?" she countered.

"Well…" I took a few bites of food while I thought about what she was saying. "I'm required to be a virgin, but the same is not expected of my husband. Isn't it a little ridiculous and possessive to require that that be part of the contract?" I was pretty sure Gran would agree with me on at least that point.

"You silly girl. Do you really expect a man who has been alive for who knows how long to still be a virgin? It is impractical to even consider it. Besides, I raised you to honor your body and save yourself for your future husband anyways. This should not be a point that bothers you."

I simply stared at my grandmother. I couldn't believe she didn't even take my side on this point.

"Stop catching flies child," she scolded me and I closed my mouth. "Now, if you insist on being your usual stubborn self, I will explain some things to you. Are you going to listen, or just try to come up with ridiculous arguments to express how much you dislike the situation you find yourself in?"

"I'm all ears Gran. Please enlighten me," I responded somewhat sarcastically. I was a little upset that Gran seemed to be taking Niall's side on this.

"Don't you get smart with me Sookie Stackhouse. Now I'm trying to help you out here, so you listen good. You agreeing to this marriage is not a sign of weakness, nor do you have to lose your independence in the process. Yes, you will be expected to be a good wife, but a good wife is also strong and independent. When is the last time you read your Bible child? Proverbs has many passages about how a good wife is strong and independent; she cares for all of the needs of her household and she is wise and kind. She also is not afraid to make good investments and see them through. How are any of those things weak or dependant?

"This is how I have raised you and this is how you will be. You will be a good wife because you are a strong woman already. You have a good head on your shoulders and you are kind. These things will help you when you become queen. Queens are never seen as weak or dependant, even when they do have a king to help them rule. You can still do the things that you want to do, but you must now share your life with your husband and you will honor and respect your husband by including him in any decisions that will affect you both, as should he. This would be the case no matter if you were marrying for love or not."

Gran went back to eating as I pondered over her words. She was right, as usual. A small part of me was annoyed about that, but a larger part found comfort in her words. I knew the terms of the contract and I had forgotten that one day I would be wife to a king. I didn't know if that would make me a queen though, since I was not a vampire, but I would most likely be expected to act the role of a queen. If the fae and vampires did enter into a time of peace in Louisiana, it was even more likely that I would be elevated to the status of queen and given rule over at least the fae, in the human realm anyways.

"You're right, Gran. I hadn't thought of all that. I guess I became too focused on what I was giving up. It bothers me that I may never have children and I'm not even sure that vampires are capable of loving, so I may never have love either. Vampires tend to be so cold and emotionless. What is this man going to expect of me as his wife?"

"I understand your concerns and your fears child. But you forget that I too thought my husband would never be able to give me children and yet I managed to have two beautiful children, a son and a daughter." I _had_ forgotten about that. "And do you really think that a vampire that was interested in breaking out of the confines of his culture and entering into a innovative alliance with fae, people who he should be more interested in feasting on than allying with, would be foolish and cruel? The fact that he is considering this, whatever his reasons, tells me that he is wise and has compassion within him somewhere. I am also certain that no man who gets to know you will ever be incapable of loving you in whatever way he can."

Once again, Gran had eased my fears. I got up and went around the table to give Gran a hug and whispered "thank you" into her ear.

Since Gran had cooked, I cleaned up breakfast and then went to enjoy the mid-June sun and give in to my one vice, tanning. I settled on a lounge chair with my book and glass of iced tea and got to the business of relaxing. I didn't have to be at work until four o'clock so I had plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine and peace.

I hadn't been outside for more than thirty minutes when I heard a "pop" and a "Hey cuz!"

I turned in the direction of the voice and smiled when I saw Claudine lying on the other lounge chair looking beautiful. She really was a gorgeous woman. She was about 6' tall, with green eyes and long brown hair. As if her beauty wasn't enough, she also had a killer body, no matter what she ate. She was definitely a lot thinner than my size eight body. I almost hated going out to clubs with her because of it. But then I'd hear what the men were thinking and realize that I didn't really want their attention anyway.

"Claudine, what a surprise," I replied sarcastically. I was sure she would've already heard the "good" news from Niall and that was why she was paying me a visit.

"The surprise my dear is that you actually agreed to do this marriage. I lost my bet with Claude because of you," she said with pouty lips.

I laughed at her ridiculous face, despite myself. I was more intrigued about the fact that she knew about this before and had yet to tell me. "Claudine, how long have you known about this, and why did you not think it appropriate to tell your favorite cousin and best friend?" I asked, barely concealing my annoyance.

"Sookie, please don't be upset with me. For one thing, I just found out yesterday. Secondly, you know grandfather, he told me he would be talking to you that night and basically commanded me not to say anything. I'm sorry. I wish I could have. I'm sure that it would have eased the blow."

I sighed because I couldn't stay mad at her after what she said. "Okay. You're forgiven Claudine."

"Yay! I knew you couldn't stay mad at me! So tell me, what do you know about your future mate?"

"I was about to ask you the same question. I know nothing. Niall won't tell me a thing about him, other than he is a very old vampire that he's known for hundreds of years and some of the terms of their alliance. I was hoping you had found something out." I looked to Claudine, hoping that she knew more than me, as usual.

"Hmm. I'm afraid for once you know more than me on this one cuz. If I find anything out I'll let you know, but Niall is pretty hush-hush about this. He's afraid of rumors getting out which could jeopardize your safety and the alliance."

I sighed in defeat and replied, "Oh I know how Niall is on the hush-hush. He basically commanded me to tell no one about this and to not discuss it outside of Gran's house. The way he's acting, I'm almost considering throwing up a cloaking spell if I do talk about it to anyone so no one can hear outside of who I'm discussing it with."

Claudine chuckled but then turned serious and said, "It might not be a bad idea actually. Grandfather has every right to be concerned. If anyone who didn't want this alliance to happen were to find out, you'd be their first target. It's probably a good thing we've kept your fae heritage a secret all of these years, or we'd be in danger of someone figuring out what's going on once your engagement is announced, and it will be announced."

"What?! What do you mean it's going to be announced? When? Where? Why? I figured this would all just be kept quiet and then we'd get married and it be done."

"Silly girl. We've kept you too shielded from the vampires. It would look very strange for a person in your betrothed's position to quietly marry a human. No, they will be working on a story to make this plausible. I'd bet they use your telepathy on this one and claim you as an asset, which would be a decent excuse for a vamp to marry you. I'm not sure what will be expected as for your living situation and you making appearances with him, but that will all get settled.

"I'm a little bothered by the fact that you are going to have to feed this vamp, but it would be expected of anyone he was binding to himself in such a way, so it will be unavoidable."

Suddenly, I wasn't feeling so comfortable with the marriage thing anymore. I hadn't thought about how things would appear in public, or what being married to a vampire would really mean. Would it hurt when he bit me? How much blood would he take? How often would he require me to feed him? Where would he want to take blood from? I could feel myself getting paler and my stomach tightening with each new question.

"Sook, are you okay? You don't look so hot. Maybe we should get you out of the sun," Claudine asked. The concern was very evident in her voice.

"No, no. It's not the sun. I just hadn't thought about having to _feed_ him. I don't know if it's going to hurt, or how much blood he'll take, or how often he'll take it. It scares me and kind of disgusts me as well," I replied back.

"Oh honey! How could you not realize that? You're going to be marrying a vampire!"

"I know, but having to feed your husband in such a way is not normal; it kind of slipped my mind. Sorry for being so dense about it," I replied back a little harshly.

"Sookie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you were stupid or dense. It's just that it's the first thing I think of when I think of vamps, their fangs. Maybe that's because I need to avoid those two little teeth at all costs though.

"I obviously can't tell you how it feels to be bitten, but if fangbangers are any indication, it can't be too horrible. Of course, I think those people aren't playing with a full deck anyways, but what do I know? I just can't imagine intentionally putting yourself in a situation in which you could potentially lose your life, with a strange vampire you've never met."

"It's okay, Claudine. I guess I'll just have to adjust to it like everything else. It's a good thing I'm such a quick learner because this is definitely going to be a 'learn as you go' kind of situation."

"That's the spirit! Try to stay positive!" Claudine exclaimed. "Well, I need to be shuffling off. Things to buy, people to see!"

"Alright. Thanks for stopping by Claudine. See you later!" I replied. And with that, Claudine was gone.

A few hours later, I headed back inside and began getting ready for work. I knew that this marriage meant I would eventually have to leave my job, but I didn't know yet where I would be living, or when I would be required to move. I wanted to keep at least part of my life normal and decided I wouldn't tell Sam, my boss and the owner of Merlotte's, about my leaving until it was absolutely necessary. He deserved to know within enough time to hire a new waitress, but I wasn't ready yet, nor did I know what to tell him.

I got to work fifteen minutes before my shift started, dropped my purse in the bottom drawer of Sam's desk that he allowed the waitresses to lock their purses in, and headed out to the floor to find out what section I would be covering. Since I had a few minutes, I stopped by the kitchen to speak with Lafayette. He began telling me all about some crazy sex party he was going to later and all I could do was roll my eyes and laugh. I would miss Lafayette when I had to leave.

My shift went smoothly for most of the night, that is until a vampire walked into the bar. I glanced at Sam to see what his reaction would be. We had never had a vampire come into the bar before and I wanted to make sure that Sam would be okay with this. Sam looked at me and just shrugged his shoulders, so I headed over to him since he had sat in my section.

"Good evening, sir. My name is Sookie and I'll be your waitress this evening. What may I get for you?" I politely asked the strange vampire.

"Good evening Sookie. Do you have any bottled synthetic blood?" the stranger asked.

"No sir, I'm sorry. We don't get any vampires in here so Sam stopped buying it."

"Well then, I'll just have a glass of red wine."

"Okay, coming right up!" I hoped my enthusiasm made up for our lack of being able to cater to his needs.

I headed over to the bar to get his drink as I heard Mack Rattray turn to the stranger and say, "Don't mind Sookie, mister, she's crazy."

When I returned with his wine, I noticed Mack and Denise Rattray had relocated to the stranger's booth and were trying to carry on a conversation with him. I didn't trust the Rats, my nickname for them, so I dipped inside their heads to find out what they were up to. I found out that they were drainers and were trying to lure the stranger outside so that they could drain him. At this, my blood boiled. I wasn't fond of vampires, but no one deserved to die that way.

Most often, drainers would capture a vampire, drain its blood, and then leave it to die when the sun rose. Occasionally, some drainers would leave a vampire tied up for weeks or months and continually drain it of its blood, but this was a riskier move. If a vampire ever managed to escape, it would usually go after the drainer and he or she would suddenly go missing.

I couldn't let the Rats follow through, but I didn't know how to warn the stranger without letting on about my gift. It wasn't that big of a deal, but Niall didn't want many Supes to learn about it. He feared someone would try to take me because of it, and it wasn't a risk I was willing to take, at least not until the engagement and marriage was announced and I would be under the protection of my future husband. When Mack asked for another pitcher of beer, I got my opportunity to get rid of the Rats without anyone knowing. As I walked back to the table I "tripped" and poor Denise got beer all over her.

"You clumsy little bitch! These are leather pants!" Denise screeched. Then she demanded Mack take her home immediately so she could try to salvage her pants and take a shower.

I chuckled as they walked out the door. When I noticed the stranger looking oddly at me, I realized I should probably say something. "Sorry about that. It's just that the Rats are bad news around here. You'd be smart to stay away from them. I've heard rumors that they sell V." V is the street name for vampire blood and with that statement the vampire's eyes flashed in fury.

After a few seconds he seemed to calm down and replied, "Well then thank you for your assistance and your warning Sookie. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is William Compton but you may call me Bill. I have just moved back to town."

"Compton? You wouldn't be related to Jesse Compton, would you?" I asked.

"Yes. He had no descendants to leave his home to and since vampires can now legally claim property, I have taken ownership of his home," Bill replied.

"Well that's pretty neat! That makes us neighbors! I live right across the cemetery from you, with my Gran." Despite knowing I should avoid vampires, I knew Gran would be excited to know one that would be living near us. I just hoped Bill was as decent as he let on to be or this could be bad news.

"The Stackhouse residence, yes? Yes, I do believe I remember them from when I was a boy."

"Really?! My Gran will be so excited to hear that!" I exclaimed. "Well, I better go check on my other tables. It was nice meeting you Bill. I hope to see you around again some other time."

"It was a pleasure meeting you as well Sookie."

I walked away to check the rest of my tables and get a few refills. When I turned back around, Bill was gone, his untouched wine paid for and a substantial tip left. I shrugged and continued on with my night.

When I got home, Gran was waiting up for me and I told her all about meeting Bill. Then she voiced a thought I hadn't even considered when she said, "Huh. I wonder if he's the gentleman Niall is negotiating with."

"I don't know Gran, why would you think that?" I asked, because I really didn't even understand what would lead her to consider that.

"Well, he said he just moved into town, yes? Perhaps he just moved her to be at a better vantage point for taking over. Or perhaps he moved here from somewhere else nearby so that he could be closer to his betrothed. Niall has never said that he hasn't told this man anything about you, just that he didn't want _you _to meet _him_ until their negotiations were finalized. Perhaps this is your suitor."

Huh. Well Gran certainly made quite a leap. I couldn't be sure that it was him, but I couldn't be certain that it wasn't either. I said goodnight to Gran and went to my room to change and settle into bed.

As I lay in bed, waiting for sleep to claim me, my thoughts turned to Bill. He seemed to have a Southern charm that was appealing. And he was definitely easy on the eyes with his dark hair and brown eyes. I could get used to seeing him every day. We didn't get to talk much, but he seemed pleasant enough to carry on a conversation with. I drifted to sleep imagining what it would be like to be married to Bill.

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A/N 2: So what did you think? Worth it to keep going? Any interest to see what happens? If so, let me know please.

I'm working ahead on the story so I will be posting every Friday morning for y'all and I will post spoilers for the next chapter on the SVM Teaser Monday thread. If you don't follow it, you should. There are lots of amazing stories being teased there. The link is http:// forum (dot ) fanfiction (dot ) net/topic/55534/19191439/1/

Also, the Poppin' Cherries contest deadline has been extended to December 13th. If you haven't written yet or have only written one story consider writing for this. It really was a blast and I got some good feedback. Plus, as you can see, it gave me the courage to write more! The link for the contest is http:// www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/u/2130969/Poppin_Cherries


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: First off, y'all are awesome! I was not expecting the reaction that I got to the first chapter. At all. You guys totally blew me away! Thank you!

My beta, Miss Construed, totally rocks and whips me into shape when it comes to commas. I still claim any and all responsibility for any mistakes you find.

I forgot to mention last time that I'll be switching between Eric & Sookie's POVs. So here's Eric's POV for you. My apologies on the short chapter, the chapters should get longer after this.

Disclaimer: CH owns these guys, I just like messing with them for my own amusement.

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EPOV

I couldn't believe I was agreeing to this. I, Eric Northman, was agreeing to take a wife.

It was really the only way to ensure that both parties held up their end of the alliance, but I was still hesitant. I hadn't had a wife since my human days, and I didn't want one now; I didn't need one. I had women falling at my feet constantly, ready to do anything to please me. I had the enjoyment of the company of a different woman almost every night, sometimes more than one woman in a night. How would being married change that?

Surely, Niall didn't expect me to be monogamous, did he? I didn't want to ask. What was that human saying? Ah, yes, 'It is easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission.' Though I had no intentions of asking for forgiveness. She would simply have to accept that I would not be monogamous. It is not in a vampire's nature.

I _would_ expect her to be monogamous though. She would be mine, and I do not share my possessions with anyone. If she was going to be married to me, she would have to agree to this. It would not be fitting for a Sheriff, or a future king, to seem as though he was unable to control his wife while she flitted off with various other suitors. It pleased me greatly when Niall confirmed that she would be a virgin. If she had never known the touch of another man, perhaps she would have no desire to be with one. I am an excellent lover, and I was sure that she would not want or need anyone but me when it came to satisfying her sexually.

Virgin blood was also the sweetest blood out there, and I would enjoy it while I could. That, along with her slight fae essence and I was already growing hard imagining how delicious her blood would be. That was another thing I would require from my wife. Again, it would be unseemly if it was known that my wife refused to let me drink from her; it would show a lack of control and weakness. This was non-negotiable, as was her faithfulness to me.

I broke myself out of my musings and prepared for my meeting with Niall. He was going to speak with the one he had chosen to be my wife earlier this evening and said he would come to see me afterwards to confirm her agreement in the matter. It amused me that he was giving her a choice at all, and I questioned how strong he could really be if he was even offering the choice; perhaps that is why previous attempts of negotiations with Sophie-Anne had failed and he was now turning to me for help.

Sophie-Anne, the queen of Louisiana, had an insatiable appetite for exotic blood, and none was more exotic or intoxicating as fae blood. However, where I viewed it as a delicious treat to be savored, as a human would chocolate or some other sweetness, Sophie-Anne was a glutton. She had begun to have her vampires hunt out the fae for her consumption and refused when Niall asked her to cease her hunts, even refused to negotiate when he threatened to stop her by other means.

This unwillingness to negotiate brought Niall to me. We had known each other for several hundred years, and had fought against and with each other in various battles. It was an intriguing relationship we had - we both had too much respect for one another to kill each other outright, but if I was forced to, I was sure that I could easily take him.

I did not want to be king; I was quite content with my life as Sheriff of Area 5, but lately Sophie-Anne had begun to demand higher tributes and was failing to protect her people properly. There were rumors of takeovers looming, and I knew far too well what would happen if that would occur from the outside - every vampire serving Sophie-Anne would be put to death. Unless the new ruler did so, he would always question the loyalty of those he had kept. I was not necessarily loyal to Sophie-Anne, and I was unwilling to die for her, but I couldn't leave my own people behind to face that fate either. When Niall had approached me with his idea of an alliance and expressed his desire to be rid of the queen of Louisiana, it was an offer I couldn't refuse.

Ours would be an interesting and rare alliance. In fact, I wasn't sure if I had ever heard of an alliance between vampires and fae. It wasn't in our nature to form such an alliance considering we desired their blood too strongly. Luckily for me - and Niall - my age provided me with much control and discipline. It also didn't hurt that he could mask his scent.

A knock at my door brought me out of my thoughts and I responded, "Enter."

"Good evening, vampire," Niall began.

I rose to show respect to my visitor and replied, "Good evening to you, Niall. I trust you bring me good news and we can begin to finalize the details of our alliance?"

"Yes, I do. My great-granddaughter has agreed to honor her people and to fulfill her duty as a princess of the fae. I must remind you what a treasure she is though; she has many gifts and is quite beautiful. I expect you to honor, respect, and protect her."

"Of course Niall. Though, I must inquire. It is uncommon for a 26 year old woman of today's time to still be untouched. If she is as beautiful as you say, how is this still possible?" I had pondered this several times and feared that I would be tied to an undesirable woman.

"Vampire, do not doubt my word. My great-grandchild is both beautiful and untouched. Her grandmother has raised her to have strong morals, which have kept her from giving herself to other men. She has also mentioned her disgust with human men. Apparently, she becomes uninterested when she hears their thoughts, or so my granddaughter Claudine, her cousin, has told me," Niall replied with a slight chuckle. Turning serious, he added, "I also expect you to leave her as such until you are officially wed."

Niall's claim of her telepathy was a new development. She could hear thoughts? I was not pleased with the possibility of anyone being privy to my thoughts. "Niall, you failed to mention that the woman you wish me to marry is telepathic. How far do her abilities stretch?"

"Relax vampire. I was hesitant to tell you much about her in case she refused. She can hear thoughts, but she is limited to humans, Werewolves, and other weres. She only gets glimpses of fae minds, and she has never heard a vampire's thoughts, despite trying to the point of exhaustion."

This calmed me at once and I became intrigued with the possibilities. "Very well. It seems as though you offer me a great gift of faith in giving me this woman to take as my wife. I, however, wish to meet her before we sign our alliance."

"I will see that she is with me when the time comes. However, we still have several details to discuss before the alliance is finalized, which takes us back to you agreeing to leave her maidenhood intact until you are wed."

Ah, I had hoped to avoid that. Well, what harm could it do? I did not want for female companionship, plus I was still unsure of how desirable she would be, despite Niall's claims. He _is_ biased. I saw no difficulties in agreeing to this and told him as much.

Three hours later we had finished negotiating the details of our alliance, Niall had departed and I was headed to the hotel room I kept, with the two women I had chosen for tonight - a blond and a brunette. I required that no other vampires feed on the premises, and I lead by example. It was not a difficult task, as I did not want their scent to linger. I admit that I despised my office smelling of the many women that frequented my club. Most of them wore too much perfume or did not put hygiene as a high enough priority or both. Plus, the room allowed my meals the opportunity to rest after our vigorous activities while I left, and I would not be seen as an asshole for kicking them out of my office. I never took anyone to my home; only Pam, my beloved child and second in command, knew where my home even was.

By the time I arrived home, I was sated in every way. Since I still had a couple of hours until dawn, I spent some time reviewing my investments and enjoying a hot bath. I enjoyed soaking in water; it relaxed and calmed me, allowing my mind to work out strategies and solve puzzles.

I reflected back over the negotiations with Niall once again. Despite my hesitation in taking a wife, it was advantageous to ally with the fae. They could move about during the day and teleport in and out of wherever they chose. It was also advantageous to have a telepathic wife. Niall had assured me that her skills were considerable, and I looked forward to having such a woman at my disposal. While unnecessary, it might not be a horrible thing to have a woman around when I awoke, a woman that I could feed and fuck before going to Fangtasia. Getting both before I went into work would give me a clearer head; I could afford to be more selective in my conquests, as she would be waiting for me at home, should I be unable to find anyone that I truly desired.

Yes, this could be a good thing.

Niall and I had simplified the terms of the alliance greatly. Since the fae were not allied to any other vampire groups, the fae would assist me in any major battles against other vampire factions. Major battles rarely occurred, so this was not much of an issue. But it was also determined that the fae would be at my disposal if needed in any fights that I planned and initiated. They would be of highest benefit during the day I was sure. As for myself, I was to decree an end to the hunting of any fae in Area 5, and my people and I were to commit to help protect any fae interests in Area 5. This would, of course, extend to include all of Louisiana once the takeover occurred.

The takeover of Louisiana would be a joint venture between Niall and myself, and would occur within five years of the signing of our alliance. The first year of the alliance was expected to be somewhat of a trial to see how we would cooperate with one another, and to make sure that all parties were happy with the terms of the alliance. This would also give time for reconnaissance and information gathering to better plan the takeover. The wedding would be at the end of the first year, and after that occurred, neither party could back out of the alliance without being seen as a traitor and sentenced to death. We would then begin to initiate the takeover together. We hoped that it would happen within the second year of our alliance, but we were allowing for five in case any obstacles arose.

My thoughts returned to Niall's kin. I knew that she had the gift of telepathy and Niall had assured me that, despite being mostly human, because of her fae training and spark she would live for hundreds of years, possibly over a thousand. If we got along, this would not be much of an issue, but if I despised her, this could be a horrible torture that I would have to endure. There was no option of divorce for vampires or fae, even if one could divorce from an alliance, which was impossible. Luckily, I had convinced Niall to bring his kin to the signing of the alliance. If I found her incredibly unpleasant, I would simply come up with a reason to postpone the alliance, or suggest he find a different member of his family to give me in marriage.

Fortunately, I would only have to wait a couple of weeks to find out what my potential future wife looked like. We had agreed to meet at Niall's offices in this realm in exactly two weeks. This would give time for Niall's lawyers to draw up the paperwork. We were keeping the negotiations secret, only Pam knew what I was doing and why. If word got out about the reasons for our alliance, it could be disastrous.

Our public story would be that I was ensuring the protection and cooperation of a much desired asset, a telepath. We would not reveal that she was fae, and since she was only one-eighth fae, only a skilled vampire would even recognize the scent. Even so, it was common for humans to possess some degree of supernatural genes in them and most was unaware of that fact. It was the perfect story.

I went into my daytime rest praying to the gods that all would go well.

When I awoke the next evening, I once again realized the advantage of having a wife at my disposal to take care of my desires upon waking. Luckily, when one has lived as long as I have, patience becomes second nature.

I arrived at Fangtasia an hour after full dark and asked Ginger to bring me a True Blood. I took care of any paperwork quickly and was reviewing an application for a vampire who recently moved to the area when Pam walked in smirking.

"My child, you look rather pleased with yourself. What have you done?" I inquired.

"Oh, it is not what I have done, _Master_, but the fact that you will be taking a human wife that amuses me to no end. I understand the alliance, but forgive me if I find it difficult to think of you 'settling down,' as the humans say," she replied, not concealing the amusement in her voice.

"Pamela, I may be taking a wife, but I am in no way settling down. I am not, nor will I ever be, a one woman man. She will simply have to accept this about me. One cannot expect a vampire, let alone a future king, to be tied to only one woman," I informed her, hoping it would end her smug expression. Unfortunately, she seemed to only get more amused as I explained my stance.

"Oh, we'll see. I doubt many human women would be accepting of that. But onto a more pertinent topic, what ring are you going to get her?" Pam asked me, utterly confusing me in the process.

"Ring? Why would I get her a ring?"

Pam rolled her eyes at me and replied, "A ring of engagement of course. Seriously, Eric, are you completely dense. Abby says that any decent man would get his intended a ring that is worth two months of his salary. It is supposed to be a symbol of their commitment to one another, with the added benefit of deterring any other potential suitors."

"I had not thought of that. I suppose it is appropriate. I like the fact that it would deter other suitors who would potentially turn my betrothed's affections from me. I will leave it to you to obtain such a ring," I responded, hoping to be done with this ridiculous conversation.

"Oh goody!" Pam exclaimed, catching me off guard. "I intend to find the best ring available. It is a shame that we do not know more about your betrothed so that I could find a more appropriate ring, but nonetheless, I will do my best." With that, Pam exited my office to go check on the club.

I had never seen Pam embrace this side of herself. She was almost giddy over trivial female things. I shrugged it off and continued reviewing my file.

An hour, and several signed invoices later, Pam knocked and entered my office followed by a vampire. She nodded and quickly left, shutting the door behind her. "William Compton, I presume?"

"Yes, Sheriff, but I prefer to go by Bill, if you don't mind," he replied.

"Very well, _Bill_. Might I inquire as to the reason you wish to move into my area?"

"My descendent, Jesse Compton has passed away. In light of the fact that he has no remaining kin, I have claimed his property. I wish to return to the area so that I may at least restore the home but, if all goes well, I may stay. The concept of mainstreaming intrigues me."

I loathed the idea of mainstreaming. It seemed to be a useless endeavor with so many fangbangers around. Why would a vampire decide to forego blood straight from the vessel and live solely on synthetic blood? Synthetic certainly curbed my hunger, but it in no way satisfied my appetite, or rather, _appetites_. But I suppose some vampires had to learn lessons the difficult way.

"Interesting. I have spoken with the Sheriff in Seattle and he says that you were no trouble, so I will allow you to stay. However, if you cause any trouble, you will be banished immediately, is this clear?"

"Yes, Sheriff," Bill responded.

I went over the rules of my area and the taxes that were due each month. These taxes were necessary for business and to cover the tribute that was due the Queen each month. Recently, she had increased the taxes to thirty percent, another reason for wishing her to be gone. I despised having to charge my people so high a tax, but it was unavoidable unless I were to take money from my own pockets.

When Bill left my office I made my call to the Queen. Bill had listed her as a reference, which intrigued me greatly, and I needed to make my weekly report to her.

Once her people had transferred me to the Queen's line, I greeted her, "Queen Sophie-Anne! I hope all is well this evening. I am reporting in as requested, and am also curious about a William Compton who listed you as a reference. I hope that he is not foolish enough to put you down without your knowledge."

"Good evening Northman. Yes, all is well in New Orleans. As for Bill, yes, I've known him for a few years. In fact, he is working on several projects for me. I do not wish to disclose what they are, but anything that he requests should be granted to him. He is very loyal to me and I expect him to be treated with respect."

"Of course Your Majesty. I treat all vampires in my area with respect, but I will see to it that he is given whatever he requests. It is your every right to request discretion in any endeavors you pursue, so I will not bother to ask any questions of either of you regarding those matters. Sheriff Griffin in Seattle had nothing bad to say about him, so it should please you that I have already granted him permission to move into the home of his kin." Yes, even though I despised doing so, I was completely capable of brown nosing with the best of them. Plus, the more I placated Sophie-Anne and appeared to be a devoted subject, the less likely she would discover my plans to take over her throne.

"Very good Northman. Your words and actions please me. I have other matters to attend to, but I have received your report and all is well, I trust I will speak to you again in a week."

"Of course Your Majesty."

"Good evening then Northman."

"Good evening my Queen."

With no more meetings scheduled and all of my phone calls and paperwork complete, I headed out to the bar to enthrall the vermin. It was only eleven o'clock and I wondered if tonight would bring anything of interest.

As I sat in my throne, unimpressed with the selection of fangbangers, I allowed my mind to strategize the most efficient way to take down Sophie-Anne and claim the throne for myself. The fae had the ability to teleport to any place, but I was unsure of how that worked, or if Sophie-Anne's resting place was guarded against such attempts. I would be surprised if it were not, especially in light of Niall's threats towards her.

I knew the most efficient way to take care of this would be to allow the fae to do it during the day. However, I greatly desired killing the bitch myself. When I took the position of Sheriff, I had known very little of Sophie-Anne. Even so, at the time, she was a good ruler – humble, caring for her people, overseeing the dispersion of funds and assistance properly. But that was over 100 years ago. Over the past twenty years, she had slowly become greedier and less concerned with her people, and more concerned with her own wants and desires, masked behind a façade of wanting to better her kingdom. She had become a subtle tyrant, and I had had enough.

If it could be accomplished, I knew that I would request the fae to capture and bind Sophie-Anne and to bring her to me so that I could kill her myself. Her known vampire gift was keeping her children with her and keeping them loyal, so they too would have to be destroyed. It really wasn't that big of a loss, and I would allow the fae to have those kills as they were the most likely culprits for hunting the fae. At the very least, I am certain they dined with Sophie-Anne on the fae that were captured, and it would bring the fae a sense of vengeance to be able to kill them.

The thought of battle, and killing Sophie-Anne had increased my bloodlust greatly; I grabbed the first fangbanger I came across and we headed towards my hotel room. Once sated, I left with a clearer headed and felt much calmer. I decided to put all of my fantasies of killing Sophie-Anne on hold, as they would do me no good at the moment. For now, I would focus on my duties as Sheriff and finalizing this alliance. Niall and I would have plenty of time to plot out the best demise for Sophie-Anne and her children.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for still sticking around! Y'all continue to rock my socks off with the response you are giving this story. I hope you enjoy the longer chapter and I'm sure it will make a lot of you happy and clear up some concerns. Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

Many thanks to my awesome beta, Miss Construed. I don't know what I'd do without you! (If you aren't reading her story, "Sorry Ladies, Northman's Off the Market," you should be! The link is on my profile and under my favorites.)

Disclaimer: CH owns the characters, I just wanted to play with them for a bit.

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SPOV

The week following Niall's visit and Bill's arrival to town was fairly uneventful for me and I was thankful for that. I didn't want to think about my upcoming engagement, but it seemed to be all I could think about. Bill had come into Merlotte's for a few hours every night since I first met him, and I had begun to think Gran might be right. I had no clue how old he was, but if he wasn't the vampire Niall was in negotiations with, it was pretty coincidental that he showed up the night after I agreed to this whole thing. With that in mind, I expended a little extra effort to get to know Bill; I tried to carry on some conversation with him as much as I could between tables and, while he didn't want to answer all of my questions, he was pleasant enough and seemed to enjoy the conversations for the most part. He definitely opened up more once I told him that I had known of vamps and others Supes since I was seven. I gave him a vague answer when he questioned how I found out, telling him that my family had connections to Supes several generations back and had passed the information forward to select members in each new generation. It was sort of the truth.

The main gossip in Merlotte's tonight was the death of Dawn Green, another waitress at Merlotte's. It was the second death in the last week and the police didn't know what to make of it. Dawn and Maudette, the other victim, had both been strangled, but they also had fang marks on the inside of their thighs, leaving the police uncertain as to who, or what, had killed them. The second part of the gossip revolved around my brother as he was the prime suspect.

When the police stopped by to question Gran and me about Jason's whereabouts on various nights and who he hung out with, we were a little confused. I knew my brother didn't treat women with the proper respect, but I was sure he wouldn't kill anyone. The police couldn't even find a motive for why he'd kill those two women. Jason came by the house for lunch to fill Gran and me in on what was going on, though he didn't have much of a choice after Gran called him to tell him that he had some explaining to do and he better show up for lunch if he knew what was good for him.

He explained that since he had dated both women several times and had been seen with Dawn the night before her death, the police decided to try to pin the murders on him. I gave him a look, knowing that there was more information than he was letting on. Peeking inside his head, I found out that he had made sex tapes with both women and, while he didn't know if the police had found them, he was scared that they had and that was why he was a prime suspect. I decided Gran didn't need to know this information and backed off of him a bit.

Before he left, he asked me, "Sookie, I'm in a real bind here. Do you think you could, um, you know, look inside people's heads to find out who the real murderer is?"

I was stunned. Jason had rarely even acknowledged my telepathy, and now he was asking me to use it? Of course, it was to help him so I shouldn't be surprised.

"Jason, it doesn't just work like that. I can't get any thoughts that I want. I only hear what someone is thinking at the time. I'd have to be inside the right person's head at the exact right moment that they were thinking about the murders. It's not likely that I'll catch anything."

"That's fine Sook, and I'll understand if you don't find out anything, but I really need your help. I may not be the greatest guy in the world when it comes to women, but I'd never murder anyone."

I sighed in defeat, knowing there was really no way that I could say no to my brother when he needed me. I let him know I would try and he responded by giving me a hug and saying, "Great, thanks Sook. I'll see you later," and hopped in his truck to head back to work.

So, here I was at work and I had spent the majority of the night peeking into the heads of our customers. I wasn't happy about doing it, but I couldn't let my brother go down for something he didn't do. That's how a new idea began to form. I "heard" Bud Dearborn, the town Sheriff, think about how both women had been seen frequently at Fangtasia, some vampire club in Shreveport. Bud thought that Dawn and Maudette had gotten what they deserved since they had been there; he was wary of vamps, so he had no intentions of going there to question anyone himself. I knew if I was going to get any answers out of that club that I would have to go myself, though I wasn't too fond of going alone.

I had an earlier shift today and got off work at eleven o'clock. I stopped back by Bill's table before I left to tell him goodnight and to tell him I would see him in a few nights. What he said next was unexpected, but I found myself surprisingly pleased when he asked, "I'm guessing you have off the next few nights, yes? Would you mind if I called on you tomorrow evening? You have mentioned that your grandmother would like to meet me, and I find that I would like to meet her as well."

"Um, yes, I do have the next few nights off," I replied as I tried to get my thoughts to straighten out. "It would be lovely if you came over to our house tomorrow night. I'll let Gran know. I'm sure she'll be very excited."

"Very well. Have a pleasant evening and I will see you tomorrow night then."

As I drove home, I found myself, again, considering the possibility that Bill was the man Niall was negotiating with, and what it would be like to be married to him. I was still leery about the fangs, but Bill had grown on me a little bit over the past week and I found myself somewhat attracted to him. His mind was a blank; I found comfort in that and finally saw one advantage to being married to a vampire.

I was home before I got too deep in thought and ran into the house to tell Gran that Bill would be coming over the next day. Not surprisingly, she got very excited and began planning what needed to be done before he arrived.

"Oh! I'm glad you have tomorrow off. We have lots of cleaning to do. I haven't cleaned that area rug in a year, I bet. And it's been at least a week since we've dusted or vacuumed."

"Gran, I don't think a guy who sleeps in the ground really cares about the rug, or if we have a week's worth of dust in the house," I replied, even though I knew there was no way I would win this battle.

"Well, if I'm not doing it for him, I'm doing it for me, so I can feel proud," she replied back. "Besides, how do you know where he sleeps? And this could very well be the man that you are going to marry; do you really want his first impression of your home to be that of a dirty house?"

I refrained from rolling my eyes, but couldn't help responding, "I don't know where he sleeps, but I can't see the old Compton house having a light tight space, so the ground is my best guess. As for his first impression of this house, I don't really care what he thinks about how I keep house. If it is him, he has to marry me anyway; and if it isn't him, then no need to impress him." I started to walk away but stopped when a thought occurred to me, which I expressed to Gran to try to smooth things over, "On second thought Gran, perhaps it is smart to clean the house. No faeries have been over in the past few days, but the house probably does still smell like them. I don't really want a vamp in our house if it does, and since we are keeping the fae thing a secret, it's probably smart to try to cover their smell."

"See there, one more reason to clean this house. Now get to bed. We have lots to do tomorrow and I expect you to be up early to get it done."

I sighed and headed off to get ready for bed.

Sure enough, Gran was knocking at my door bright and early to make sure that I was up. Thankfully, she already had coffee made and I grabbed a cup while she set a plate of French toast and sausage down at my place at the table. I ate quickly, knowing that Gran was eager to get started.

Gran did not disappoint. She vacuumed, dusted, and mopped while I scrubbed the bathrooms. She also had me empty the trash cans and sweep the porch. I never did understand sweeping a porch when it was outside, but I did as Gran requested. Just as I finished up Gran came out to get me for dinner.

After dinner she shooed me off to shower and get ready, requesting that I wear a nice dress. I laughed to myself at Gran's excitement; this was the first vampire she was meeting after all, and I headed off to do as I was told to make Gran happy. I chose my blue cotton-knit dress with little daisies all over it. It was tighter than Gran liked, but since she was convinced Bill was my future betrothed I figured I could get away with it.

I came out of my room just as there was a knock on the front door. Gran emerged from the kitchen and pushed me towards the door so I would greet Bill and invite him in. I had learned the basics early on regarding vamps and invitations and was fully prepared to uninvite him if it should be necessary. I was even considering rescinding his invitation after he left to be careful. Sure, he seemed decent enough, but I was raised to not trust vamps and I didn't know enough about him yet to leave that invite open.

"Good evening, Bill. Please come in," I greeted him warmly.

"Good evening, Sookie," he replied as he walked through the door.

Gran came into the living room at about that time and I made the introductions. "Gran, this is Bill Compton. Bill, this is my Gran, Adele Hale Stackhouse."

"Pleased to meet you ma'am," Bill said as he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Oh no. The pleasure is all mine! I'm sure Sookie has told you what a history buff I am. I think the Great Reveal was such a blessing. If people would get over themselves, they would realize what a treasure trove of information you all are. I'm so thankful that you've come over, and I'd love it if you'd let me pick your brain about what you've seen and done sometime, you know regarding our nation's history." I groaned internally. I had hoped to avoid this tonight but Gran really was too excited for her own good.

Luckily, Bill didn't seem to mind and responded quickly, "Well, thank you ma'am. I sure do wish more people were of the same mind as you. And I'd be willing to answer some of your questions anytime. If you'd like to ask a few questions tonight, I'd be more than happy to answer them for you."

"Oh dear! Aren't you a gentleman! Well, let's have a seat and get comfortable." Gran chose the recliner, leaving me to sit next to Bill on the couch. I perched on the edge and turned towards Bill and Gran while she started in on her questions. "First off, I'm a member of the Descendants of the Glorious Dead, a Civil War remembrance group. Were you around during that time? I so want to meet someone who was."

"Yes ma'am, I was. In fact, I was still human then and was a Confederate soldier myself."

I could see Gran bursting at the seams with excitement with that statement. As Gran launched into some questions about the Civil War and what life was like back then, I took the time to consider Bill's age. If he was human during the Civil War, he couldn't be more than 150 years old, which meant he was definitely _not_ the vamp Niall was in negotiations with. I knew now that I would have to tread lightly, while also trying to get some more information about Bill. I needed to find out what side he was on without giving too much information about myself away, and I had to figure out how to do it soon since my engagement would be announced in about a week. I was concerned that if he was not loyal to my future husband he would stop being so open with me after the announcement. I supposed befriending him wouldn't be that horrible or difficult. He certainly seemed very fond of me already and my plan began to form.

I was still determined to go to Fangtasia, but now I had the perfect person to escort me. I wasn't sure how much convincing it would take, or if I would have to reveal my telepathy to him in order to convince him. I knew that there was only one more week until the negotiations would be finalized and the engagement announced, so I figured it couldn't hurt too much by revealing my telepathy at this point. Plus, if I really needed to, I could use a spell or "pop" away. It might reveal my fae heritage, but I was also sure Bill wouldn't last long enough to tell anyone about that if he tried to attack or kidnap me.

The trip to Fangtasia would serve two purposes. One, I would be able to find out if anyone knew anything about Maudette or Dawn; and two, I would have plenty of time to find out more information about Bill.

"Sookie!" Gran yelled at me, bringing me out of my musings.

"What? Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking about…something," I responded.

"Yes, clearly," Gran scolded me. "Bill was trying to ask you if you'd like to take a walk with him. I'm getting a little tired so I think you should go on."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess that would be okay. Are you sure you don't need me to help you with anything Gran?" I asked, partly to be polite and partly because I was a little nervous about being alone with Bill. Silly, since my plan would put me in a car with him tomorrow night, alone.

"No dear, I'm fine. You two go on now. Have a lovely night, and it was a pleasure meeting you Bill. Thank you for being so patient and answering all of this old lady's questions."

"Not at all ma'am. It was a pleasure meeting you as well. I assure you I will return Sookie to you safely," Bill responded and we headed out the door.

We walked up the driveway and I felt Bill's stare. It wasn't the kind of stare someone has when they think you are crazy or strange - I was _very_ familiar with that kind of stare. No, this was a very different kind of stare, and I blushed because of it and asked "what?"

"You are a very beautiful woman Sookie," Bill responded smoothly.

"Oh, um, thank you," I floundered back.

"You are quite welcome. Thank you again for allowing me to come over tonight and for walking with me."

"You're welcome. I know Gran enjoyed hearing everything you told her. I can't remember the last time I saw her so excited," I replied with a laugh.

"Your grandmother is quite a charming woman. She has a lot of energy for someone her age. I very much enjoyed talking with her. It is nice to be able to share my history without being judged because I am a vampire. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for the Great Reveal, because it means we no longer have to hide what we are, at least in theory, but there are many hurdles in overcoming what many humans have been taught about us."

"Yes, I'd imagine so. Is it weird for you being on the other side of that?" I asked before realizing that question might be slightly offensive. I found it interesting that he had once owned slaves, and had lived through their journey to getting the same rights he had as a white man, and now he was in the position of being in a group that had to now fight for the same rights everyone else had. He looked at me with confusion, so I explained my question for him.

"Ah, yes. Well, I had never thought of it like that. I suppose it is rather interesting when you look at it that way. It is definitely frustrating that humans claim to be so tolerant and liberal, and yet will not accept us for who we are; there is much fear because of legends and myths, and it will simply take time for those stories to leave the collective psyche, if it ever does. When you are immortal though, patience is something that is easily afforded, so we will continue to fight for our rights. Eventually people will adjust to our existence, and then change will begin to happen."

Huh. Good answer. "Well, I don't really know what to say to that." The silence overcame us again, though it wasn't uncomfortable or awkward.

After we had walked a little further, I got up the courage to ask Bill to take me to Fangtasia. He seemed amused and curious and asked, "Why would you want to go there Sookie? You don't seem to be the fangbanger type, and you know far too much about vampires to be the curious visitor."

I rolled my eyes and replied, "I heard that Dawn and Maudette, the two women that were murdered, frequented the club. I wanted to find out if anyone had seen them, or know who they might have been, um, hanging out with."

"Sookie, no one there is likely to talk to you. They are pretty secretive about any outside activities there. Besides, shouldn't you let the police handle the investigation?"

I snorted at that comment and replied, "The police have my brother as a prime suspect, and they think Dawn and Maudette got what they deserved anyways. They won't be going to Fangtasia to ask any questions."

"You seem awfully distrustful of your police officers. Even if the police do not go, what information do you think you can gain? Why do you think anyone will talk to _you_?"

I was getting angry because it was clear that Bill thought I was either overly hopeful, or a bit of a flake for even considering this idea. It was clear that I would have to reveal my telepathy and pray for the best. I shored up my nerve and said, "I'm telepathic."

"You're what?" Bill asked, surprised.

"I'm telepathic. I can hear people's thoughts." At that he looked wary so I quickly clarified, "Don't worry, just humans and Werewolves and other weres. I can't hear vamps. But it's how I know the police won't go to Fangtasia. It's also why I don't really need anyone to talk to me. If I can just show Dawn and Maudette's pictures to a couple of people, they won't need to tell me anything, their thoughts will. Of course, it would be more helpful to question the staff, and I'd like to try, but you are probably right and they won't want to talk to me. I've got to try though. If I don't find out something, Jason could go to jail for the rest of his life for crimes he definitely did not commit. I've already tried listening to the customers at Merlotte's, and I've gotten nothing."

I looked up at him, unsure of what his reaction would be to that flood of information. He seemed to think it over for a few minutes and then responded, "Very well, but you must listen to me at all times while we are there. Not all vampires are as nice as I am, and some do not care if you are already with another human or vampire. If they want you, they will try just about anything to get you for themselves. And do not, under any circumstances, reveal that you are telepathic. Understood?"

I knew vamps weren't to be trusted, but he just made the vamps of Fangtasia sound downright sinister. I was wondering if I should rethink my brilliant plan, but I knew I didn't really have a choice with Jason's freedom on the line, so I assured Bill that I would stick close to him and follow his lead.

We discussed my telepathy as we headed back to the house. Bill was very curious as to what it was like for me growing up as a telepath, and wanted to know how much control I had learned over my telepathy. I told him about my parents' reaction, and then how my grandmother was way more accepting. I left out my fae heritage and training, and just told him that my grandmother helped and encouraged me to work on my telepathy, which in turn helped to strengthen my shields.

We had gotten back to my front porch by this time, so we said our goodbyes. I had been a little worried that Bill would try to kiss me - if it had been a week ago, I probably would've been looking forward to it - but I knew it wouldn't be right to lead him on with anything other than friendship, so I was glad when he just kissed the back of my hand and walked off towards his house.

When I walked by Gran's bedroom, her light was off and I wasn't sure if I should be amused or annoyed that she didn't bother waiting up to make sure that a man, a vampire no less, had returned her granddaughter home safely. I decided to be amused since she seemed to be pretty smitten with Bill and was probably now hopeful that he was my betrothed. I'd have to make sure to tell her in the morning that he couldn't possibly be the one just so that she didn't keep her hopes up.

I quickly changed for bed, and thanks to Gran's marathon cleaning session, I was able to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I awoke the next day feeling plenty rested. When I looked at the clock I saw that I had even managed to sleep in a little bit and it was already ten o'clock. I threw on some clothes and headed out to the kitchen to get my cup of coffee and see if there was any breakfast leftover.

The house seemed awfully quiet, and I wondered where Gran had gotten off to. I peeked outside and found her humming away while she was working in her flower beds. I went to the shed to grab a pair of clothes and knelt down to help her weed and talk to her about Bill.

"Good morning, Gran."

"Good morning, Sookie. I trust you had a pleasant walk with Bill?" she asked.

"Yes. It went well. I wanted to talk to you about him," I started.

"What about him dear? He does seem like such a gentleman, doesn't he? It's a shame that he isn't your intended," she responded, completely surprising me.

"What? How? Gran, what makes you think he isn't my intended?" I asked. I knew that he couldn't be, but she seemed so enthusiastic last night that I was certain she still believed he was.

"His age of course. Didn't you put two and two together, child? If he was alive during the Civil War, he's definitely not the extremely old vampire your great-grandfather is talking to."

"Well, yes, I did, but I didn't think you had. You still seemed so excited about him and then shoved me off on that walk. Then you didn't even wait up to make sure he brought me back home safely."

"Oh. Well, of course I was excited. I was able to speak to a man who was in the Civil War. Goodness, it's not every day that happens! I sent you off on that walk with him because I could tell that he was getting tired of answering my questions. He kept looking at you and I knew that he had just come over to get to know you better. You may be intended for marriage, but it doesn't hurt to keep your options open. These negotiations haven't been finalized yet. And Bill seems like a decent guy."

"Gran!" I didn't even know how to respond to that. My grandmother, who was so prim and proper, wanted me to lead on another man just in case Niall's negotiations fell through? I couldn't make heads or tails of this woman lately. She kept surprising me at every turn. I just shook my head and gave Gran a hug, telling her, "Gran, you certainly know how to keep things interesting around here."

We both laughed at that and finished up the flower bed we were working on. The rest of the day was just as relaxed; I even had plenty of time to work on my tan.

After dinner, I headed off to get ready for tonight. I wasn't entirely sure what to wear to a vampire club, so I chose my white sundress with red flowers and a pair of red sandals. I left my hair down, curling the ends slightly, and just threw on some mascara and lip gloss for makeup. I never was one to put on a lot of makeup and I wasn't about to start now.

Bill came by around 9:30 to pick me up and we headed off to Fangtasia in his car.

The car ride there was pretty quiet, and since Bill seemed a little upset I was afraid to ask him anything. As we got closer to the club, I finally shored up my nerve and asked, "Bill, you're awfully quiet tonight. Did I do something wrong? Is my outfit not okay?"

Bill took a deep breath and then said, "Sorry I seem upset Sookie. You look beautiful tonight. I'm just concerned about being able to get you in and out of the bar without having to kill someone who wants you."

Well, that was not what I was expecting as a response. "Oh. Um, I think you're being a little over dramatic. I hardly believe there will be anyone fighting to get to me. Besides, I'll be with you so I should be safe, right? It's generally bad form to try to hit on another man's date." Then I realized what I said and shut up. _Date? Really? Stupid, stupid Sookie._

Bill looked over at me with one eyebrow cocked, but let me off the hook and responded only by saying, "Yes, well, vampires are quite different. Remember what I told you last night? We usually take what we want unless the other vampire is older and more powerful. Unfortunately, I am not very old compared to some vampires that will be there."

The rest of the drive went by in silence. I was still kicking myself for referring to myself as Bill's date when we pulled up to the club. After Bill parked the car, he came around to open my door and we walked up to the front entrance. Once again, coming to Fangtasia with Bill seemed to go in my favor, as we got to bypass the line entirely. I assumed it was because he was a vampire.

The vampire at the door was a gorgeous, leggy blond, who seemed to be very bored. She merely nodded to Bill as he walked by, but she looked at me intently, as if trying to figure me out, or memorize every pore on my skin. I was a little shocked when she carded me, but she claimed to not be able to tell human ages any longer. I relaxed a little bit when she only looked at my ID for a few seconds and then handed it back to me.

I had to hold back a slight chuckle when we walked inside - the bar definitely seemed to be hitting every stereotype about vampires. It was decorated in reds and blacks, and the lighting was very dim. There were several signs posted that banned any biting on premises. The bar was full and almost everyone was dressed in black or other dark colors. It seemed that the only difference in the tourists and the fangbangers was the _type_ of clothing they chose to wear. The tourists wore normal clothes that happened to be dark, but the fangbangers were in everything from capes and outfits from popular vampire movies, to leather and lace. It was quite the collection of people. The vampires were dressed a little more normally, but they too seemed to favor dark colors.

Bill leaned down to my ear and whispered, "You're like a candle in a coal mine," making me shiver slightly when his lips grazed my ear. He straightened up and guided me over to the bar where he ordered a True Blood and I ordered a gin and tonic. The bartender was clearly from Native American descent and had long black hair. He greeted Bill, asking if I was his meal for the evening. I shivered internally at the idea but, luckily, years of not reacting to people's thoughts helped me to keep a smile on my face. Bill replied, "This is my friend, Sookie. She has some questions to ask."

"Anything, beautiful woman," the bartender replied smiling. I suppose the smile was supposed to be comforting, but it ended up creeping me out a little bit.

I dug the pictures of Maudette, Dawn and Jason out of my purse and asked him if he had seen any of them. He told me that he had seen the two women, but not the man. I breathed a sigh of relief that Jason had not been here and asked if he had noticed who the women had hung out with. He immediately turned cold, saying, "That's not something we notice here. You won't either."

I politely said, "Thank you," and slipped the pictures back into my purse. Bill then guided us over to a table off to the side of the bar but towards the front where there was a throne set up. _A throne?_ I rolled my eyes when I saw it, wondering who was so arrogant as to sit in a throne at the front of a bar. I knew the queen lived in New Orleans, not that I would ever expect a king or queen to operate out of a bar; the whole idea was just ridiculous.

I let my mind wander and tried to figure out how I would be able to question more people about Dawn and Maudette. The bartender's response to my question of who they had hung out with threw me off a little bit, and I was fairly certain that they wouldn't appreciate me questioning their customers about the two women. Surprisingly, even with me sitting at the table, several women had come up to Bill and offered themselves to him. He turned them all away while I remained quiet. After he told the fourth one he wasn't interested, he looked over to me and said, "You're very quiet."

"There's nothing for me to say. You are free to do whatever you want, with whomever you want. I'm imposing on you enough tonight, I don't want to be the reason you are stuck with True Blood all night if you want something different."

"Very well, but I am quite content with keeping you company for the evening," he replied.

I blushed and said, "Thank you."

Shortly afterwards, I noticed a flurry in the thoughts of the women and looked over to see one of the most gorgeous men I had ever seen walk into the room from the back. He was very tall, maybe 6'5", with long blond hair and striking blue eyes, and very muscular. It was clear that he was the main attraction, and many of the women were hoping he would choose them for the evening. I was both slightly enthralled by him and slightly disgusted by how many women seemed to have already been with him. I immediately threw my shields back up and turned to ask Bill, "Who's that?"

Seemingly annoyed, Bill responded, "That's Eric Northman. He's the Sheriff of Area Five and owner of Fangtasia." By that time, Eric had made his way up to the throne and I snorted when I saw the throne belonged to him. I realized that with Eric on display, there was no chance of getting anything about Dawn or Maudette out of the minds of the fangbangers, and I began to chat with Bill a little more.

While we were talking, I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched and when I glanced up several times, I noticed that Eric was practically boring holes into me. By the third time I noticed his stare Bill sighed and said, "Let's go talk to Eric."

As we walked over, I noticed that the female from the front door had joined him on stage and they were scanning the crowd with emotionless expressions. When we approached, Eric seemed to be annoyed until he realized who was standing in front of him. Bill had been holding onto my elbow and stopped us about five feet away.

"Bill," Eric said, nodding.

"Eric," Bill responded back with a deeper nod.

"Who's your little friend?" the female vamp asked Bill.

"Hi, I'm Sookie Stackhouse," I replied.

"Aren't you sweet," Eric responded, and I was unsure if he was referring to my character or my blood.

"Not especially," I replied back, catching Eric off guard.

After staring at me for a moment, Eric laughed and the female joined him. Then he said, "Sookie, welcome to my bar. I am Eric and this is Pam."

Just as I was about to speak, Bill said, "My friend Sookie would like to ask you a couple of questions."

Pam rolled her eyes and asked, "What? Do you want to see our fangs or find out if we sleep in coffins?"

Clearly this was a common, and very annoying, question for them, so I quickly said, "No. I'd like to ask if you've seen these two women." I opened my purse and pulled out the pictures.

"I have been with this one," Eric replied, pointing to the picture of Dawn.

Pam looked slightly taken aback, but added in, "I have seen them both, but I have not been with either of them. This one," she said, pointing to the picture of Maudette, "was a pathetic creature."

"Thank you for your time. That's all I needed to ask," I politely replied as I put the pictures away.

Before we could even turn to walk away, Eric asked, "Bill won't you and your friend join us for a little while?" I got the feeling it was more of a demand than a request. Bill sat on one side of Eric and I sat on the other.

After a few minutes of light conversation, Eric asked, "Bill, are you quite attached to your friend?" taking me by surprise. I immediately knew what he was asking - if I could be borrowed - and shuddered internally at the thought. I really had no idea how I was ever going to get past the fangs.

I worried what Bill would say, because he was not technically my date and clearly Eric was more powerful than him. If Bill couldn't get us out of this, I was in real trouble. Luckily, I didn't have to worry long since Bill quickly responded, "She's mine."

I realized that I should probably be a little annoyed with that statement, but since I knew that it meant that Eric could not feed off of me without permission from Bill, I let it slide. Eric turned his gaze to me; as I looked into his blue eyes, I felt some sort of push on my brain and knew he was trying to glamour me. Lucky for me, I had found out early on that I was immune to a vampire's glamour. Eric asked, "Is this true, Sookie? Are you his?" and cocked one eyebrow up, questioningly.

Quickly, I swallowed my pride and replied, "Yes. I'm his."

If Eric was surprised his glamour didn't work, he hid it well, and simply responded, "What a shame, then," and jumped back into conversation with Pam and Bill. As I was sitting there, I opened my mind once again and heard the nervous thoughts of a man. He was an undercover cop and was worried because he was alone and waiting for the other cops to show up for the raid. When I reached out further and heard the thoughts of a man being bitten in the bathroom, I knew I couldn't keep quiet. I knew the risks of revealing my telepathy, especially in front of the Sheriff of Area Five, but there was no other way around it. I said, "We need to leave, there's going to be a police raid and one of your vamps is feeding on a man in the men's room."

I was a little concerned that they wouldn't believe me, but my alarm must have been evident because we were quickly whisked out the back door with Eric, while Pam headed off to go warn a few others. Once we were out in the parking lot, Eric turned to me and asked, "How do you know?"

I sighed, knowing I'd have to tell him the truth and replied, "I'm a telepath. I read a policeman's mind."

Eric looked slightly startled, but then an amused smirk spread over his face and he responded, "How interesting."

We heard the sirens at that time and we all made our retreat.

The ride home was quiet, and I knew that Bill was annoyed with me for revealing my telepathy, the one thing that he told me not to do. I tried to smooth things over by saying, "I'm sorry that I had to tell Eric that I'm a telepath, but I really had no other choice unless you wanted to be caught up in that raid."

Bill glared at me and turned his eyes back to the road. After a few minutes I asked, "Bill, are you just going to ignore me the rest of the drive home?"

Finally, he responded, "I told you Sookie. I told you not to reveal your telepathy and you went and did the very thing I asked you not to do. I can't keep you safe from Eric. He's very old and very powerful and he usually gets what he wants. Yes, I told him that you were mine, but that won't stop him for long. He will find some way to get to you or get closer to you. He was already interested in you before; now you have made yourself more interesting. But perhaps you would enjoy him. He is rather good-looking and I hear he is great in bed. Is that what you are looking for Sookie?"

I was totally taken aback. Bill had just laid into me and he came out sounding, _jealous?_ I responded, "No Bill, that's not what I want. But even if it were, that would be my decision. What is your problem with Eric?"

"Sookie, I care about you. I don't want to see you get hurt, and Eric would only hurt you. He is completely incapable of maintaining a relationship; he doesn't care about the women that he's with. You need to stay away from Eric."

Okay, when had this conversation gone from Bill being upset with me for saving our butts by revealing my telepathy, to Bill thinking that I had the hotts for Eric and wanted to end up in bed or in a relationship with him? Why was he now warning me to stay away from him so I wouldn't get hurt? I couldn't figure it out, and I chocked it up to being emotionally and mentally drained from the stress of the night.

I wanted to put Bill at ease though, so I replied, "Bill, I don't get why you think I'd be interested in Eric, but I'm not. I read what some of those women were thinking about him, and I'm not interested in just being another notch on someone's bedpost. I'm sorry you are upset that I revealed my telepathy, but I didn't exactly have time to come up with a brilliant plan for a hasty exit."

Bill's eyes softened and he simply nodded to me before turning his eyes back to the road.

It was just after one in the morning when Bill pulled up in front of my house and I said a quick, "Thank you" and got out of the car and walked into the house.

As I got ready for bed, I thought back over the evening. I still couldn't come up with another solution for getting us out of the bar without revealing my telepathy, but I wasn't too concerned about it. I knew I would be under the protection of my betrothed in a week and I couldn't see Eric trying anything drastic that soon. However, I couldn't exactly tell Bill why I wasn't worried, so I had to hope that he would calm down and forgive me for ignoring his advice.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Because you guys are so awesome and got me over 100 reviews within three chapters, something I didn't expect to happen until Chapter 9 or 10, I decided to give you all Chapter 4 today instead of just a spoiler. I still plan on posting Chapter 5 on Friday, which is the chapter everyone's been waiting for, but y'all deserved an extra update.

A thousand thanks to my beta, Miss Construed. She made this thing readable and got it back to me quickly despite having a ton of other things on her plate.

Disclaimer: CH owns the gang, I'm just playing with them.

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EPOV

Niall and I had met twice more over the week following his pronouncement that his great-granddaughter had agreed to the marriage. Now that she had agreed, he was more willing to divulge information about her. He expanded on her telepathic abilities, even telling me that they had not yet discovered the source of it, but that it was definitely not fae. He also told me what fae abilities she did have – teleportation and a basic knowledge of spells and potions. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about her possessing knowledge of spells and potions. On one hand, there was not much that I could do to protect myself against spells and potions if she should ever decide to use either against me, but on the other hand, if she was loyal to me, it could be quite useful. I saw greater use in her ability to teleport. Being able to get to other locations and back quickly could be a very valuable skill if I was trying to keep people unaware of my plans or my involvement in those plans.

Her telepathic abilities had become my focus over the past few days. I had discovered that large sums of cash were unaccounted for at Fangtasia, and I was at a stalemate in discovering the thief. Glamour only worked on humans, and still did not guarantee me the truth. If a vampire was responsible, he or she could glamour a human to do what they wanted and then remove the memory, or plant a false memory that would make them seem guilty. While I was aware that Niall's kin could not read vampire minds, Niall had said that she was quite skilled and could not only detect a glamour but, in some instances, if the glamour was not done properly, she could discover the original memories. With that information, I was actually becoming eager for the following week to arrive so that our negotiations would be finalized and Niall's great-granddaughter would be at my service.

I had attempted to get Niall to permit her to help me sooner, but he refused to allow me to even know her name before the alliance was signed. It was frustrating, but from a political standpoint, I understood his reasoning very well. He did not want to show his full hand. If I were to back out of the negotiations and the alliance, and to go after Niall myself, or if I was in league with Sophie-Anne, knowing the identity of such an asset would not only be of great use in its own right, but could also be used as leverage over Niall. I respected Niall for withholding this information, even though I disliked it. I supposed that another week would not hurt. I would get my money back, or have my revenge, eventually.

I was in my office when Pam came to inform me that Bill Compton had arrived with a date. Compton had informed us that he was trying to mainstream, so both his presence at my bar and the fact that he brought a date was unusual, and something for me to look into more closely. Since there was no more paperwork to be done and, until Niall's great-granddaughter was at my side or I was going to start torturing my employees, there was nothing more that could be done to find my thief, I decided it was time to head out to the bar and enthrall the vermin. I chose my throne tonight because it gave me the best vantage point.

I found Compton and his date quickly and was surprised by her - she was not the typical fangbanger. She did not dress in the dark colors like the rest, but chose white and with splashes of red flowers. Her dress was simple, but she looked quite attractive in it. She also did not have on the heavy makeup of other fangbangers and it was clear she certainly did not need it. It was obvious why Bill had chosen her; she was quite beautiful and she looked very innocent, such a welcome change after the hordes of fangbangers. I began to wonder how attached Bill was to his new pet, and began to formulate a plan to get her away from him and make her mine, at least for tonight.

It was difficult to keep my eyes off of her, which actually worked in my favor. Not only did it make Compton nervous, which would throw him off a bit, but the few times his date looked over at me and caught my eye, I was treated to a blush. It was very juvenile, but it was not something many of the women I had entertained over the years had done, and I found I enjoyed it.

Pam came to join me on the stage and I questioned her about Compton's date. Pam's mind was a vault and she could recall almost any information she obtained, but I knew she would remember the information of this girl simply because of who she had arrived with. We always had conversations like this in the language from my human years. I had taught it to her when I first made her vampire, as there were few who remembered the language, which made our conversations almost certainly secret.

"Her name is Sookie Stackhouse and she lives in Bon Temps."

"Bon Temps? Isn't that the backwater town that Bill moved to?" I asked Pam.

"Yes, it is," she informed me, looking at her nails, seemingly bored.

"What are they doing here?"

"It seems she is looking for information about two women from her town that were murdered, so Long Shadow tells me. But she's only questioned him so far, so perhaps she met one vampire and was curious to see more?"

"Perhaps."

Pam and I went back to scanning the crowd and discussing various fangbangers – how ridiculous this one was, how that one tasted, which ones were beyond pathetic, etc. I turned my gaze again to Compton and his pet and once again she looked over and blushed. I noticed Bill sigh and say something to his date. I looked away with a smirk. It was clear I was getting to him.

Several minutes later, I noticed two people approaching me and was at first annoyed that anyone would have the audacity. My expression turned to one of amusement when I noticed that it was Compton and his human. With her closeness, I could smell her and her blood smelled delicious. No wonder Compton had taken to her so quickly. It would be difficult to turn down such blood. There was a sweetness to it, and it was clear that she was a virgin, but it smelled even sweeter than virginal blood. She was lucky she had hidden away in her backwards town and had not met a vampire before the Great Revelation, or she surely would have been taken and made to be a pet of some lucky vampire.

I addressed Compton to let him know that I was willing to talk to them. I held back a chuckle when Pam asked for an introduction, as though she didn't know who Compton's pet was, and was even more amused when Sookie answered for herself in her southern drawl. It was sweet and I told her so. But when she fired back, "Not especially," I was intrigued and surprised. Bill's sweet little virgin had some fire in her, along with either bravery or stupidity for the way she stood up to a vampire. I laughed, both in enjoyment of her feistiness, and in amusement that it was Bill and his delicate ways that found her. It was clear Bill would bore her quickly if she were to stay with him. I would have to show her soon that there were better options.

I welcomed Sookie to my bar and introduced Pam and myself so that she would feel more comfortable in our presence. I had no intentions of letting her walk out of the bar with Bill tonight, and wanted to set this sweet little virgin at ease quickly.

Bill then informed us that Sookie had some questions, and Pam assumed she had been correct about Sookie's curiosity of vampires. But instead, Sookie asked us about the two women she had asked Long Shadow about. I had been with one of them and told Sookie as much. Pam was surprised that I was revealing such information, but followed my lead and informed Sookie that she had seen both women at the bar.

When Sookie thanked us, I realized she was about to leave, which was not conducive to my plan, so I invited her and Bill to sit with us for awhile. It was a perfect plan because Bill could not refuse my offer without seeming ungrateful or as though he thought more highly of himself than my position as Sheriff.

Bill and Sookie took their seats, one on either side of me, and Pam and I began to converse with Bill. I acted as though I was concerned for his well-being and inquired as to the renovations on his home and how he was adjusting to life in Bon Temps. When the opportunity presented itself, I asked Bill how attached he was to Sookie. She was a virgin and I did not see any fang marks on her so I was almost certain he had not fed from her yet, but it did not surprise me that he claimed she was his. Only a fool would be willing to give up, or even share, such a delicacy.

In the spirit of being nice to the human, I would offer her a say in the matter, allowing me eye contact with her so that I could glamour her into admitting that she was not Bill's. My glamour was quite powerful and I was very skilled in its use, as one would expect after living for over a thousand years. I was rather surprised when she did not succumb to my glamour, and instead told me that she was Bill's. I remained expressionless and informed her that it was a shame and resumed my conversation with Bill. I would have to think about this later. Surely I was not losing my touch when it came to glamour.

I was curious as to how Bill knew Sophie-Anne so well, and was curious to see what he would reveal to me, so I began to inquire about their relationship. A few minutes later, Sookie suddenly exclaimed, "We need to leave, there's going to be a police raid and one of your vamps is feeding on a man in the men's room."

I was shocked as to how she knew this, and was furious that one of my vampires was ignoring a direct order, but it was clear that now was not the time to deal with such matters. I told Pam to grab Long Shadow and to warn any other vampires she saw and exit immediately. After giving Pam her instructions, I took Bill and Sookie out through the employee entrance; before they left I had to know how Sookie knew such things. I began to wonder if she was a cop, since she was the one asking questions about two murdered victims. I was quite surprised, and extremely amused, when she informed me that she was a telepath and read a cop's mind in my bar.

How very interesting! I doubted that there were many telepaths around, and with that information in hand it was now easy to identify that extra sweetness in her scent as just a touch of fae. Oh how the gods have smiled upon me! This was an enjoyable turn of events. However, both Compton and Sookie were claiming that she was Compton's, and that would not do at all. I hoped for both their sakes it was a lie.

Before I could continue any questioning, we heard the police sirens and we all departed the parking lot. I went to make sure that Pam and Long Shadow had gotten away, and asked Pam for Sookie's complete address. She gave me a funny look, but did as she was told. I would inform her of my discovery later and I was sure she would be just as amused by my little discovery as I was.

I decided that it was safer to fly to Bon Temps so Bill and Sookie would not know that I was following them. When I finally arrived at Sookie's house, it was clear that she was not yet home. I hoped it was just Bill's slow driving and not for other reasons. While I waited, I took stock of the house in which Sookie lived. I could see an old woman sitting on a bed reading and assumed this was Sookie's grandmother. The house itself was dismal. It looked very old and very drafty. I wondered why Niall would allow his kin to live in such poor conditions.

Thankfully, Niall and I had already agreed that it was best if Sookie were to move into my house in Shreveport after the engagement was properly announced. From Niall's standpoint, it would provide Sookie with extra security, and I could now see why he was so concerned. From my own standpoint, it would make Sookie more available to me for feeding and for when her presence was needed at my side for public functions.

I heard a car coming down the drive and quickly darted into a tree so that I could observe Sookie and Bill's goodbye. Their interaction when they thought they were alone would tell me a lot about the nature of their relationship. I was pleased when Sookie merely thanked Bill, quickly exiting the car and walking into her house.

When Bill drove away, I floated down to where I saw a light come on. It was Sookie's room and I watched as she undressed and prepared for bed, muttering something. I caught the words "Bill," "overprotective," and "I'll be safe from Eric in a week." The last comment amused me greatly. It was clear that Niall had given her even less information about me than he had given me about her. She had no clue who I was, and I was suddenly looking forward to next week's meeting even more.

Once I could tell that Sookie was asleep, I flew over to Bill's. Suddenly, Bill's connection to Sophie-Anne and his just happening across Niall's kin concerned me, and I decided to try to get a little bit of information. I knocked on his door and waited for him to open it up to me. He quickly answered and greeted me. "Eric, I figured you would show up eventually. Come in."

He stood aside and I walked in and headed to his living room. The house looked more comfortable from the inside, but it was clear that he still had a lot of work to do on the place to make it suitable. I briefly wondered where he rested for the day and then decided I didn't really care all that much.

"Good evening Bill. It seems as though you have been holding out on me, and I find myself wondering at the happy coincidence you seem to have found yourself in, stumbling into some backwater town and happening across such a delicious smelling telepath." I was firm but somewhat nonchalant in my tone.

"Eric, it is indeed a coincidence. If you require the paperwork on the home, I can show that to you. As for Sookie, I met her at the local bar and restaurant, Merlotte's. She admitted to me only last night that she was a telepath while explaining why she wanted me to take her to Fangtasia."

"A bar, Bill? Come up with a better explanation than that. I find it difficult to believe that one so innocent would be hanging out in a bar so she could pick up strange men, or vampires."

"It is her place of employment, Eric. She works at Merlotte's as a waitress." Well, this would certainly not do. The companion, and eventual wife, of a Sheriff could not be seen working at a bar in a backwater town, or anywhere for that matter. That would have to end immediately.

"Very well. So how is it that she is suddenly so friendly with you? She seems awfully innocent to be cavorting around with vampires that she couldn't have known for more than a week." I knew that she was comfortable in the supernatural world from what Niall had told me, but normally such a human would not be, so I played to that. I was also curious to know just how much Bill knew about her already and this would allow me to do so.

"Well, Eric. It so happens that we have talked many times over the past week. In an effort to meet the folks of Bon Temps, I have been frequenting Merlotte's. We have conversed while she works," Bill replied somewhat smugly. "As for her comfort with vampires, she has mentioned that she was aware of the supernatural world from a young age. She recognized me as vampire quickly and was comfortable around me. It's more than I can say for most people in this town. Naturally, I decided to get to know her better."

"Okay then, Bill," I replied coolly. "So what else have you learned about her. She is telepathic, obviously. How much do you know about her abilities?"

"I know that she can hear the minds of humans, Werewolves, and other weres. She claims to not be able to hear vampire minds and I believe her. I thought some things at her to try to make her afraid of me and she was unresponsive." Again, Bill was so smug about his findings and what he had discovered thus far.

"Very good, Bill. I trust that you would have brought her to my attention soon had tonight not occurred?"

"Yes, of course Eric. You are, after all, my Sheriff and I discovered Sookie in your area. I am obligated to report such assets, am I not?' Bill attempted to sound obliging, but I sensed bitterness in his tone. For the sake of argument, and to get him to feel more comfortable around me, I overlooked it.

"Very good, Bill. Yes, you are obliged to report such fantastic assets. Now, tell me more about Sookie. What is her style of living? What do you know about her family?"

Bill gave me a questioning look and asked, "Why are you so interested in her history, Eric? Surely, an asset is an asset no matter what. Besides, I have already told you that she is mine. Do you not trust me to make her available to you when needed? I do not think that you would want Sookie as a pet for yourself. Even in the short time I've known her, she can be quite stubborn and feisty."

His stupidity knew no bounds. It was foolish to question why I was inquiring about Sookie. As Sheriff, it was well within my rights, and it was not within his to question me. Firmly I responded, "I will determine who I take on as a pet or not. And no, you have not yet earned my trust, so I am not confident that you would make her available when needed. I cannot even be sure that you would not take her out of my area or even out of this state. You seem to have a good rapport with Sophie-Anne, so perhaps you would even take Sookie to her, hoping to get some benefit for yourself?"

Bill suddenly looked very angry, and I had had enough of his insolence. "Enough! Now, Bill, answer my questions. What do you know of Sookie Stackhouse?" I asked before he had a chance to mount an argument.

Bill took a few seconds to regain his composure and then replied tersely, "I don't know much. I know that she lives with her grandmother in the house across from the cemetery from me. It's a family home and has been for years. I actually remember the Stackhouses from my human years.

"Sookie informed me that her parents were killed when the river overflowed a bridge they were crossing. She was seven at the time. Her brother Jason lives in their parents' old home. She hasn't told me why she stays with her grandmother instead of getting her own place, but I doubt she makes enough at Merlotte's to afford her own place regardless. She and her grandmother are very close. Her grandmother is actually quite protective of Sookie." Bill said this last part as though he were warning me. I so hoped I would get to see the look on his face when the engagement was announced, if for no other reason than to see his smugness wiped off, and his realization that his attempts to keep me away from Sookie had failed.

"Very good. Is that all you have learned?" I inquired.

"Yes, Eric. Of course, anything else I learn that is of importance I will let you know."

"Yes, you will," I replied back firmly.

"Now as to the matter of Sookie being mine…"

"Stop this Bill! We both know that you have not fed from her and she is, of course, still a virgin. How do you figure she is yours in this matter? If she is not feeding you, and you are not enjoying her company physically, why are you so concerned with claiming her?" I was getting tired of this game. I knew for a fact that Sookie was not his, as she would be mine in a week's time. I was almost certain she only went along with him out of fear or because he told her she must for some unknown reason.

"I have grown fond of her in the short time that I have known her. She has been enjoyable company for me and has welcomed me into this town when no one else has," Bill responded.

"Bill, am I to understand that you have feelings for this human? And after only knowing her for less than a week? You will have to do better than that. I do not buy it."

Bill sighed. He fucking sighed. "It is what it is Eric. I can not make you understand or make you believe me. But I have formed a friendship with Sookie and I wish to see it go further. I told you before that I am mainstreaming and I believe this will help me. I am not so old that I have foregone my human emotions as you clearly have."

"Do not presume to know anything about me Compton," I hissed. "I will consider the matter and let you know. In the meantime, report to me immediately if you learn anything else about Sookie Stackhouse." With that, I rose from my seat and exited his house. I was too close to getting violent with Bill or saying something I should not. Bill was clearly up to something and I was going to find out what it was. His arrival in conjunction with my alliance with Niall was too coincidental for my liking.

I allowed the anger to flow out of me as I flew back to Fangtasia. The raid surely would have been dealt with by now and I needed to assess the damages. I was also certain that my child would be eager to learn what I had discovered about Sookie.

As I flew, I thought back over what I had learned tonight. Sookie Stackhouse was almost certainly Niall's kin who I would be marrying. Her telepathy, the slight fae essence in her smell, and her knowledge of supes from an early age were too coincidental. I was pleased that she was beautiful and her smell was quite delectable. Her feistiness, however, could either be very entertaining or annoying. I supposed time would be the judge on that.

I was currently more concerned with her relationship with Compton. Her agreement with his claiming of her proved that she was immune to glamour, and I assumed that was connected to her telepathy. This also meant that I would not be able to glamour her into compliance. But that Compton had been able to get so close to her in less than a week was more concerning. She would have, no doubt, been raised by Niall to be wary of vampires. I was determined to find out what her draw to Compton was. Surely she didn't find him _attractive?_ I decided that was foolishness and found reassurance in the fact that there was only a week left before the negotiations were finalized and she would no longer be able to carry on with whomever she pleased. If she had any contact with Compton after that it would only be to find out what his interest in her was for me.

As I arrived back at Fangtasia I also decided that I would immediately send out a notice to all area vampires that any deliberate hunting of faeries was now prohibited. The purpose was twofold. The announcement would not be connected to my engagement, lessening the likelihood that anyone would discover the true reason for the engagement. It would also assure Niall that I was serious about the negotiations, and tell him that I was ready to move forward in case he wanted to stall for any reason. I was eager to get our alliance underway, and to make Sookie mine.

I entered Fangtasia through the employee entrance and headed straight to my office. I had not been in my office for more than a minute when Pam came in and sat down on my couch. She informed me that she had managed to stop Sasha, the vampire guilty of feeding earlier, before the raid and had reminded her that such things were prohibited. Pam had informed Sasha that she was to meet with me tomorrow night to determine her punishment; if she fled, her punishment would be even worse.

When Pam finished her report, I leaned back in my chair with a smirk and asked her, "Pamela, what did you think of Compton's human, Sookie Stackhouse?"

She gave me a questioning look, but replied, "She smelled delicious and was attractive. I am curious to know how she knew about the raid."

"Ah, yes. We'll get to that; quite an interesting story. What else did you think of her?"

"I honestly have no clue what she is doing with Bill, she clearly has no taste in men. She seems quite the handful if her feistiness is any indication. I was quite amused that she stood up to you; not many women do. Most of them are too busy trying to get into your pants."

Amused, I responded, "Yes, her standing up to me was quite a shock. She reminds me of you in that respect. Hmmm, I think you two would get along quite well. What do you think?"

Pam looked taken aback for a minute and then replied, "I doubt it. I do not care to form relationships with humans. Besides, are you suggesting I steal her from Bill and take her as my pet? I thought you were the one interested in her? Although, I wonder what the little woman would say to you keeping a female pet," and then she chuckled at her own comment.

"And if they were one in the same?" I asked, waiting for Pam to figure out my meaning.

She stared at me for a minute before responding. "What are you saying? Surely Bill's pet is not Niall's kin. Didn't he tell you that she did not associate with vampires?"

"Yes, he did. But it seems Bill has only known Sookie for a week. What her interest is in him is yet unknown. So it is possible that Niall does not yet know of their association."

"Even so, what makes you think she is of Niall's blood? She smells sweet, but I did not smell fae."

"Yes well, unless you had the gift to discern it or knew to look for it, you would not know that she had fae blood. But her telepathy is what gave it away. That is how she knew of the raid. Once I learned that, I understood immediately what the extra sweetness in her blood was."

Pam's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh this will be fun. How unfortunate that she claims to be Bill's," Pam said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Unfortunate, indeed. But it will be quickly rectified in a week's time. In the meantime, I will simply have to keep a check on her and Bill to make sure that she is kept innocent and pure for me. Besides, I am certain that Compton is up to something, and I intend to find out what it is. He seemed very on edge when I questioned him about Sookie."

Pam laughed and replied, "I would imagine that it is because he knows you can have any woman that you desire, and he is afraid of you stealing her away from him. He must have thought himself extremely fortunate to have crossed paths with her. Then you come along and find out about her and threaten his fun."

"Yes, well, let's hope that is all. However, I do find his seemingly close relationship to Sophie-Anne, in conjunction with the timing of his arrival so close to when Niall and I are about to finalize this alliance, concerning. I want to make sure that it is still secret. But fortunately, finding out about Sookie now will make our cover of taking her as an asset that much more plausible."

Pam nodded her agreement with my assessment.

I stood to leave and remembered that I had decided to decree the end of fae hunting. "Oh, Pam. Please draw up an announcement informing all area vampires that there is an immediate ban on deliberately hunting any faeries in Area Five. I trust you to come up with a wording that will not make it seem as though we are doing this in spite of Sophie-Anne. Keep it short, but make it seem as though we are doing this in an effort to get along with all other supernatural creatures. I think that would be the best way to come across."

"Yes, Eric," Pam said quite sullenly.

"Pam, what is it?"

"I am just disappointed that there is no chance to indulge in any faerie blood. It is so delicious. I will miss it. This of no consequence to you, as you will soon have your own little virginal faerie on tap."

I laughed and responded, "Yes, I am looking forward to it. As for you, well, you may always take a vacation outside of Area Five if you find you are craving it too much." I winked at her and left my office as the smile returned to her face.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'll keep this short. Many thanks to scattered21 for stepping in and beta-ing this chapter for me since Miss Construed is busy with the approaching holiday. Hope all is going smoothly for you hon.

I hope everyone will have safe travels and will have good times with family, whichever holiday(s) you celebrate!

Disclaimer: CH owns the characters and Sookie Stackhouse Novels, I just wanted to play the "what if" game with them for awhile.

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SPOV

I hadn't gotten much information about Dawn and Maudette while I was at Fangtasia, but I was hoping that it would be enough to get Sheriff Dearborn to take a second look at their murders and cut my brother some slack. I wanted to get to the police station before going in to work the lunch shift, so I was up, dressed, and out the door fairly early. When I got to the station, I saw Bud sitting at his desk. He looked up when he heard me walk in.

"Good morning, Bud!" I greeted him cheerfully. I hoped that the nicer I was, the easier it was going to be to get him to take me seriously and look into the case further.

"Good morning, Sookie. What brings you in here today?"

"Well. I don't want to step on any toes, but when I heard Dawn and Maudette had fang marks on them, I decided to check out Fangtasia, that vampire bar in Shreveport, to see if they had been there. Turns out they had. I'm not saying that it was a vampire that killed them, but perhaps it would be worth checking into, to see if someone is targeting women that go there? It just seems like an awfully big coincidence. Our only two murders in several years, and both are women with fang marks, who may go to that club regularly. Could there be some cases from other towns that fit the same profile that you don't know about yet?"

"Hmm. Well, if it eases your mind, I have checked around; Dawn and Maudette are the only known murders with this same profile. But I'll think about checking out the bar just in case." I could hear him thinking he was annoyed that I had gone to Fangtasia and done my own investigation, and now he was forced to look into it further. But he was going to at least check it out, even if it was to try to get more evidence that Jason might be involved. I was confident though that when he found out Jason had never been to the bar, he would ease up on him, at least a little bit.

"Thanks Bud. I know my brother can be a bit of a tomcat when it comes to the ladies, but I just can't believe he's capable of murdering anyone." Bud just nodded at me so I continued, "Well, I guess I better get on to work. See you around!"

"Alright. See you later, Sookie."

My work shift passed smoothly, and before I knew it, it was five o'clock and time to go. As usual, I pulled around to the back of the house and headed inside. The smell of Gran's cooking assailed my nose and I was looking forward to a quiet evening, relaxing at home. In my mind, the countdown until my engagement was on and I was determined to enjoy my remaining time alone with Gran as much as I could.

Gran had cooked a wonderful dinner of fried catfish, green beans, hushpuppies, and mashed potatoes. All of it was made from scratch. While we ate, Gran chatted about the town gossip she had learned that day. Apparently, Rene Lenier's sister Cindy had been reported missing. I wondered how Rene was handling the news and decided to make more of an effort to be a little nicer to him. Gran had raised me properly, and I was nice to everyone, but for some reason Rene gave me the creeps, so I tended to avoid him. But everyone deserves some extra kindness when they are going through the loss of a family member.

After dinner I did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen while Gran took her evening bath. We both ended up settling down in the living room with books. It was quiet and relaxed, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Shortly after sunset there was a knock on the front door. When I answered it I was slightly surprised to see Bill standing there. I guess he got over being mad at me.

"Bill, good evening."

"Good evening, Sookie. Might I talk to you for a moment?"

"Um, sure. Did you want to come in, or do you want to sit on the porch and talk?"

"The porch," he answered shortly.

I nodded my acquiescence (Word of the Day last week) and headed out to sit on the porch swing. "What's up, Bill?"

"Sookie, I just felt that I should warn you. Eric came to my house last night after I dropped you off. He was asking about you. I believe that he is interested in taking you as his, so he can use you for your telepathy. This is what I feared. This is why I told you not to reveal your telepathy."

"Well, excuse me for saving our butts!" I was concerned about Eric's interest in me, but Bill's last statement overruled my concern and just made me plain angry. "Next time there's about to be an attack or a raid I'll just keep my mouth shut about it. I'll just let everyone go to jail for a crime they have nothing to do with."

"I am just concerned for your safety. Eric will know where you live by now. He also doubts my claim on you, so there is nothing stopping him from taking you whenever he wants."

I suppose that should have concerned me a bit, but I was certain I could get away if needed. Eric didn't know that I was part faerie. I could pop away from him whenever I wanted. "About that, Bill. Don't ever claim that I am yours again. I went with it last night out of respect for you so that you wouldn't look like an idiot in front of your sheriff, but I don't need to belong to you to be protected."

"Sookie, I claimed you for your own good. You may not think you need to be protected, but you do. You are just a human; a human who is much slower and weaker than any vampire. You will only be safe by being claimed. You should really rethink what you are saying, especially now that Eric knows of your telepathy."

"No, Bill. It's not a good idea for me to be known as your human. Besides, even if I was, what would really stop Eric from taking me from you? Are you anyone in the vampire hierarchy?"

"I am not but I have connections, and I have been offered the job as an investigator. I would willingly take the job if it meant keeping you safe from Eric. If I were an investigator, he would be obliged to keep me happy and looking out for my assets, which would mean leaving you in my care instead of taking you from me."

"Really Bill? Why? Why are you so concerned about my safety? You've known me for a week."

"I cannot tell you, Sookie. There is something about you that draws me to you. I don't know what it is. You have also reached out to me and made an effort to get to know me when no one else in this town would. It meant a lot, and I wanted to return the favor. Though if you would prefer I leave you alone, I can go," and he stood up as though he intended to leave.

I reached out and grabbed his hand, saying, "Wait, Bill. It means a lot that you would be concerned for me. But really, there is no need. I can handle myself just fine. I don't want you to go either. I want to continue to get to know you better but just as a friend. That's all. Okay?"

"Very well, Sookie," Bill replied, as he sat back down.

"So, friend," I said, nudging him in the side playfully in an attempt to ease the tension between us, "please tell me more about yourself. What places have you traveled to and when were you there?"

Bill and I sat outside talking for close to an hour before I realized it was getting late and I was getting really tired. When I tried to stifle a yawn Bill said, "Sookie, you are tired. I should not have stayed so late. Why don't you go in and get some sleep?"

"Sorry about that. I just got up so early this morning. I wanted to go by the police station and tell Sheriff Dearborn what I found out. Then I had to go to work. It's just been a long day."

"Don't worry about it. And don't worry about Eric. As long as you are indoors, he can't get to you. Plus, I will keep an eye on your property as well."

"Thanks, Bill. But you don't really have to do all that. Just trust me, everything will be fine." I certainly appreciated Bill's concern, but I knew that it was entirely unnecessary. Neither Gran nor I were about to invite any strange vampires into the house. I also doubted Eric was desperate enough to destroy my house just to get to me, so I felt certain we'd be safe for the night.

I wished Bill a good night and headed inside. Gran had relocated to her bedroom but was still up reading. I poked my head into her room, telling her, "Good night Gran," and went straight to bed.

The next week dragged by, probably because I was getting too nervous about the alliance, my engagement, and the eventual marriage. I still wasn't sure what things would be expected of me. Niall had been pretty mum on the whole thing. When I tried to ask him about it, he just told me that they were still discussing the details, but he would let me know before the signing of the alliance.

Claudine stopped by a few times, and we talked about the upcoming changes in my life. Well, mainly I talked, and she listened. But she did remind me that Niall wouldn't have asked this of me if he thought that I was going to be harmed because of it. Unfortunately, his definition and my definition of "harmed" seemed to be different. I wasn't so much worried about my physical being; I had enough fae magic to take care of myself fairly well. But, I was worried about my heart. Gran had been reminding me ever since I agreed to this that I shouldn't give up on love; there were plenty of arranged marriages, or marriages based on alliances, which ended up with love. She reminded me more than once that I shouldn't go into this with a negative outlook, but instead be optimistic and give my betrothed a chance. She was certain that vampires were capable of love and pointed out Bill's concern for me as an example. I hoped she was right, but I wasn't completely sold on that notion.

Speaking of Bill, he had stopped by a few more times too. Every time, he would ask me to reconsider letting him claim me and making it public. I knew that meant I would have to allow him to bite me, and it would have to be where it could be seen. He also suggested that I take some of his blood, so that if Eric were to kidnap me, which he reminded me Eric was perfectly capable of doing, he could find me. I was touched by his concern, but I was getting more annoyed by the fact that he just wouldn't listen to me and take no for an answer. I wondered how he was going to react when the engagement was announced. I'd definitely have to come up with something good to tell him to explain why I was suddenly engaged to a vampire I'd never mentioned before.

True to his word, Niall came over for lunch the day before the meeting to talk about the alliance. I greeted him at the door; he had learned a long time ago that Gran did not appreciate him literally popping in whenever he wanted. It always cracked me up when I remembered the scolding Gran had given Niall the first, and only, time he popped into the living room. Gran might be old but she still had some fire!

Lunch was fairly quiet, and I imagine it was because we were all avoiding talking about my engagement. When we were finished eating, I tried helping Gran clean up so that I could put this conversation off longer, but she shooed Niall and me into the living room.

"Great grandfather," I began as we both sat down on the couch, "I know you say that I will be protected and cared for, but it's hard for me to trust that when you won't even tell me the vampire's name. Why won't you tell me anything about him?"

"Child, I understand your concern, but you need to learn to trust those older and wiser than you. You've always struggled with this though; your Gran seems to be the only one you'll trust implicitly. For your own safety, I won't tell you any more about him. If he backs out or someone learns of the alliance, I don't want there to be any risk that you will come to harm. I haven't given him your identity either, but rather just some information about you that is helpful to our planning. I doubt you would know who he is anyway, so a name will do you no good."

His explanation did little to calm my concerns. It must have shown on my face because he continued on, saying, "Trust me child. I would not pair you with someone I thought would be cruel or uncaring with you. The vampire is a good man. He cares for his people, and I am sure that will extend to his marriage to you as well."

I could tell Niall wasn't going to budge on this, so with a sigh, I replied, "Okay. I really have no choice but to trust you on this anyways."

Niall wrapped me in a hug and said, "Thank you, Sookie. You have no idea how proud I am of you, and how grateful I am, as are all the fae. They will know the sacrifice you are making for their safety. I will make certain of it."

"That's not necessary. You know I am not doing this for recognition. I just want the fae to be safe, and for the Queen to stop her hunts. But moving on, tell me what I need to know about this alliance."

"We will, of course, go over the alliance in greater detail tomorrow night, but there are some things that I do not want to be a surprise.

"We have decided it is in the best interest of all parties that a blood bond be formed between you and the vampire. It will allow you to both know if there is any deceit on the other person's behalf in regards to the alliance."

"Whoa!" I said, cutting Niall off. "What the heck is a blood bond, and how will it help me know if he's being deceitful? How is it formed?"

"I was getting there, child. Please have patience." I nodded and looked down, slightly ashamed by my outburst. "A blood bond is formed when blood is shared three times between a vampire and a human. It does not create feelings, but it does bind and connect the two people in the bond. It also allows you both to feel everything the other is feeling. With time, you will be able to decipher whose feelings are whose and, for our purposes, you will know when he is being deceitful. If you feel guilt coming from him, you can try to find out what is causing it. He will be able to do the same with you."

"Okay. So you said we exchange blood three times. Is that all going to happen tomorrow night?"

"No, my dear. You will exchange blood once tomorrow night, once as part of a public pledging at some Vampire Summit in the fall, and the final exchange will occur on your wedding day."

"Okay." That was a lot to process, and I decided I'd think on it tomorrow. "What else?"

"Well, we have decided that it is preferable for you to move into the vampire's house. You will have your own room, perhaps even several, but this will allow you greater protection than this house offers. You will also be more readily available to attend functions with the vampire, especially if something comes up at the last minute."

"What? I have to move out? But, this house is safe enough. It's been good enough for me for the past 18 years. Why is it suddenly not good enough now?"

"Child, I have never thought this house was good enough for you and your grandmother. I offered to help restore it, but your grandmother would never accept my help. She is a proud woman, that one. That's one thing that you got from her that is both good and bad. Nonetheless, once your engagement is announced, you may become a target for anyone trying to get to your fiancée. There are also several groups opposed to vampire-human marriages which might seek to harm you, especially since it has not been legalized yet, something I hope to have rectified by your wedding. I want your marriage to be valid in all three worlds – vampire, fae, and human."

"Will Gran be able to come, too? If this house is so unsafe, I want her protected as well." I felt like a small child asking this, but I wasn't sure I was ready to leave Gran. I also wasn't sure if she'd be able to afford living here by herself. The main reason I had stuck around was because I could buy her groceries without having her feel like it was charity.

"You will have to ask the vampire about that one. It will be his house you will be moving into."

"Okay. What else do I need to know before tomorrow night?"

"Since you will be moving in with the vampire, you will need to quit your job. I never approved of you working at that bar, but the shifter was kind to you, and he looked out for you. But it is foolishness to travel the distance you would need to in order to continue working there, and it would be unseemly for someone in your position to work as a barmaid. Your vampire will provide for your care from now on. He has the means to do so."

"No way! I will not be a kept woman. I want to work. I understand that Merlotte's is out, but you own businesses everywhere. Can't I work at one of them for you?"

"No," Niall replied firmly. Before I could begin another rant, he continued more gently, "Think about it child; it would be too easy to connect the dots if you were to work at one of my businesses while engaged to the vampire."

"Okay, fine. If he's so wealthy, surely he also has several businesses. Couldn't I work at one of those? Or I could find a job somewhere else near where I will be living."

Niall sighed, "This is what I meant when I said your pride could be a bad thing. Is it so horrible to be cared for? It does not make you a kept woman. You will no doubt be working with him on several matters, mostly in using your telepathy, which is a very valuable skill. It is not as though you will simply be sitting around with nothing to do. And the time will come soon enough that you will be consort to the King of Louisiana. That position will come with enough tasks to keep you very busy.

"I advise you to take advantage of this opportunity to relax a bit and not worry about having to work. You haven't yet been to college; you could go now. I'll cover your tuition and books. If you must, we can also see if there are any establishments owned by the vampire where you can work. But keep in mind, you will need to have a fairly flexible schedule so you can attend events with him. Just think about it, Sookie. Not everything has to be decided tonight."

"Fine," I grumbled. I was slowly realizing just how much my world was going to change, and it scared me a little bit. I had spent my life knowing that I should avoid vampires, and now I was about to marry one and become entrenched in their world. I would be foolish not to be scared of that.

"I think that is all we need to discuss today. The rest, we will go over tomorrow night. Are you still okay to drive yourself? We are meeting at my office in downtown Shreveport at 9:00 P.M.."

"Yes, great grandfather. It's silly for you to drive out here to pick me up. I'll be there. I'll even be there early, just for you," I replied, nudging him in the ribs a little bit. I could tell he was getting nervous that I might be the one to back out after our little discussion. I couldn't blame him though. I had considered it. But this alliance was important, and I had given my word that I would do this.

I walked Niall to the door, and he hugged me once again and told me, "Sookie, you make me proud. You are definitely of Brigant blood. I wish that I could have seen you mated with a faerie, but if you must be mated with a vampire, this is the man I would have chosen for you, despite the alliance. He will take good care of you."

I could feel the tears welling up and whispered, "Thank you." Niall released me from the hug, and then walked down the steps and popped away. When I turned around, Gran was standing in the doorway to the living room from the kitchen. I ran to her as the tears started running down my cheeks, and she just held me. After a few moments she took us to the couch and sat down with me.

"You need to stay positive, Sookie. If you go into this thinking that this vampire can't be any good, and that your marriage will be horrible, you will have a miserable marriage. But if you start thinking positively and start considering the best ways to make this all work out, then it will work out for you."

I sniffled and wiped the tears away as I replied, "I know Gran. It's just hard, and I'm scared. It feels like my life is getting turned upside down, and I'm losing control of everything."

"Well, you are in for some big changes, that's for sure. But I think you'll find that just because things change, and some decisions are already made for you, you will still have control of your life. It may just take you a little while to adjust and get used to the new things."

"I guess so. Thanks, Gran. I think I'm just going to take a bath and relax for a little while."

"You're welcome, child. I'll be here if you want to talk."

With that, I headed to the bathroom. I knew I had plenty to think about, but I just wanted to shut my brain down for a little bit. I felt like I was on overload. I was glad Niall had told me what he had though. If I had learned all of it while I was at the meeting, I likely would have had a breakdown right then and there. It definitely would not have been pleasant for anyone, nor would it have made a good first impression on my future husband.

When the tub was filled, I climbed in and let my thoughts just float out of my head as I relaxed in the hot water.

The next morning I woke up already wound with tension over what the night would bring. I had forgotten to ask Niall one of the most important questions, in my mind – would I be required to give blood to feed this vampire and, if so, how? My answers would have to wait though. I got up and dressed in my favorite bikini for tanning. Tanning was my only vice, and I would continue to enjoy it no matter what else was happening in my life.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and a banana on my way through the kitchen and headed for the backyard. Gran was already weeding in her flower bed, and we exchanged "good mornings" as I settled down on my lounge chair.

After a couple of hours of trying, and failing, to relax, I decided to go back inside and work off my nervous tension by cleaning. Sure enough, the hours flew by, and before I knew it Gran was calling me for dinner. Like lunch the day before, dinner was a quiet affair. Unfortunately, all the nerves I had worked off earlier by cleaning began to resurface during dinner.

When dinner was over I cleaned up the kitchen and then went to take a shower. After I finished, I stood in front of my closet lost for at least ten minutes, a towel around my body and another one wrapped around my head as I tried to decide what I wanted to wear. What does one wear to a meeting in which you are going to meet your future spouse for the first time? Part of me wanted to wear black as if I were going to a funeral, like my own, or as if I were mourning the loss of my freedom, but I knew Niall would guess at my motivations and be disappointed with me. Finally I decided on my gray skirt suit with a pink camisole. In essence, this was a business arrangement and meeting, so a suit was a good choice.

I dried my hair, curling the ends. For makeup I brushed on a light pink shade of eye shadow, some mascara, and lip gloss. I hated heavy makeup, and I wasn't about to start wearing it just because I was meeting my future husband. If he didn't like it, that was just too bad.

A quick glance at the clock told me it was 8:00 P.M., and time to go. I slid into my black heels and grabbed my clutch, giving myself one last glance in the mirror to make sure I was set. I told Gran I was leaving, and despite me telling her she didn't have to, she reminded me that she would be waiting up for me in case I wanted to talk afterwards. I wasn't sure how I would feel after this meeting, but I was glad I'd have the option if I needed it. Of course, I could always call Claudine, but Gran knew best how to comfort me when I was upset.

I did the speed limit the entire way to Niall's office in downtown Shreveport. I was certainly in no rush to take this next step into my future. The office was one of Niall's lesser used offices, but I had been there several times before and found it easily. I arrived ten minutes early knowing it would please and reassure Niall.

I walked into the office and the receptionist, Mary, directed me back to the conference room, telling me that Niall and his lawyer, Mr. Ferguson, were already present. I was glad that the mystery vamp wasn't there yet, giving me a little time to try to calm myself down.

I walked into the conference room, and Niall and Mr. Ferguson both looked up and greeted me warmly. I had never met Niall's lawyer before, never had a need to, but I could tell quickly that he was at least part, if not fully, fae. I wondered how the vampire would handle being in the room with two faeries and assumed that Niall would also be masking the lawyer's scent, if needed. But at least a fae lawyer was more likely to keep the terms of the alliance, as well as who was involved, to himself so the queen of Louisiana wouldn't find out.

"Good evening, Sookie!" Niall greeted me, looking a little relieved. "This is Mr. Ferguson, the lawyer who has both drawn up all the paperwork and will act as witness at the signing of the alliance. Mr. Ferguson, this is my beautiful great granddaughter, Sookie Stackhouse. She is the reason our people will soon be safe from Sophie-Anne and her exotic _tastes_." He said the last word with a tone of disgust, and I didn't blame him one bit.

I shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with Mr. Ferguson. I asked if anyone would like anything to drink but it seemed as though I was the only one with a case of cotton mouth. I went to the far wall where there was coffee and water set out, along with a couple of bottles of True Blood.

As I was pouring my water I heard Niall say, "Ah, here we are. The vampire to whom we owe many thanks." At that I turned around, and when I saw who had just walked in, I gasped and dropped my water. The next second, Eric Northman was standing in front of me holding my water glass out for me with a smirk across his face.

I looked at Niall, my brain still trying to catch up. I heard Eric clear his throat next to me and looked back to him, only to realize he was still holding my water. "Thank you," I squeaked out and turned to walk back to where Niall was.

Niall stood to make the introductions. "Eric, this is my great granddaughter, Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie, this is Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area Five. He is the vampire with whom we are forming this alliance. Thank you for meeting with us tonight."

"Very nice to meet you, Miss Stackhouse," Eric said, as he grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. He was definitely smooth, and I was definitely still in shock.

"Nice to _finally_ meet you as well, Mr. Northman," I replied back. I wondered how long he had known. He certainly didn't seem as shocked as I was, but then again, he was over a thousand years old, so it was likely he had learned to school his features over the years.

"Please, call me Eric," he said with that smirk I was beginning to dislike.

"Then I insist that you call me Sookie," I responded back, not able to forget the manners Gran had instilled in me.

"Well, then," Niall began, "now that everyone is here, let us take our seats and get this alliance signed. Mr. Ferguson, the floor is yours."

"Thank you, Mr. Brigant. Mr. Northman, here is a copy of the contract for you to review, and here is one for you, Mr. Brigant, and one for you as well, Miss Stackhouse," Mr. Ferguson began, as he handed each of us a copy of the contract. "At the direction of both parties, we have made the terms of the alliance very simple. In a nutshell, either party is expected to come to the aid of the other if there is an attack by any rival entities. In the event of a pre-planned initiative, the extent of both parties' cooperation will be discussed in advance. The party whose assistance is sought is allowed to turn down the request if his people will be put at a greater risk than is acceptable. The only exception is in the takeover of Louisiana, since this is the crux of the alliance. Both parties will be expected to give any and all aid in that endeavor. We are all still in agreement with these terms, yes?"

Both Niall and Eric nodded, so Mr. Ferguson continued, "Now for the terms of the marriage. Sookie, you have until the night of the Engagement Party to move into Mr. Northman's house. This gives you two weeks. He will be providing several rooms for you that you may decorate as you see fit. Mr. Northman will provide you with accounts for all household expenses, correct?" Again, Eric nodded, and Mr. Ferguson said. "Miss Stackhouse, you will be required to accompany Mr. Northman to Fangtasia at least two nights each week. While there, you will use your telepathy to scan the crowd for anything that might jeopardize the bar's operations or pose a danger to anyone there. You are also to attend any and all events with Mr. Northman, both as his fiancée and as a telepath, but those details can be worked out between the two of you before each event. Is this agreeable to all?"

_Agreeable?_ Probably not, but I had already agreed to the whole thing, so I just nodded.

"Good. Mr. Northman, Mr. Brigant, if you would like to take a few minutes to look over the contract."

While they did that, I got up to get more water, more from the desire to do something than from thirst. My mind was still trying to absorb everything – the terms of the alliance, my forthcoming marriage, and everyone's expectations of me. I took a few sips of water, looking over at Eric only to find him staring at me, still with that damn smirk on his face, and I quickly looked away again. Clearly, he was happy with the whole thing, and I would have some explaining to do about agreeing that I was Bill's. Bill. _Crap!_ How was I ever going to explain this? It was bad enough when I thought I only had to explain suddenly being engaged to some stranger, but now I had to explain how I was suddenly engaged to Eric Freaking Northman and was completely okay with it.

Was I okay with it? Sure, he's gorgeous, and Niall thinks he is a decent enough man, for a vampire, but I heard what the fangbangers were thinking when I was at Fangtasia. Eric Northman was not a one woman man, er, vamp. I didn't want to end up as just someone that Eric married for the sake of the alliance, or even worse, kept just as a backup when he couldn't find anyone better. I wanted to be his only woman. I knew vampires were possessive by nature, Bill had proven that to me this past week, so I was certain Eric wouldn't approve of _me_ having someone else on the side. I had no clue how I was ever going to bring up the fidelity issue. How exactly does one start that conversation? Before the tears could start I decided to think on it later. This was certainly not the time nor place to start crying over something that I might not ever be able to change about Eric, my future husband. I was stuck, and I'd just have to figure out how to make the best of it.

I saw that Niall was finished with his review of the contract, so I headed back to my seat.

"Gentleman, do you approve of the contracts and agree to all that is contained within them?" Mr. Ferguson asked. Niall and Eric both nodded. "Very good. Well then, if there are no questions we have the blood bond to attend to, or at least the first part of it. Mr. Brigant has already explained the details to you, Miss Stackhouse?"

"Yes, he has. But I have a couple of questions if you don't mind?" I asked, as I looked at Niall and Mr. Ferguson for approval. When they both nodded, I looked over at Eric and asked, "Um, well, I understand why I need to live with you, but I was wondering if my grandmother could come, too. She wouldn't be in the way, and she seems to love to clean, so you wouldn't ever have to worry about a dirty house. I just don't want her to be left all alone in her house when I leave, especially if there are supposedly so many security risks. Would it be too much trouble for her to move in as well?"

Eric seemed to think on it for a few seconds, and I thought he was going to tell me no, but then he replied, "No, Sookie. My home is big enough for all of us. If it would make you feel more comfortable in my home and around me, then she may come as well," Eric replied.

"Thank you," I said, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"And your second question?" Mr. Ferguson asked.

"Oh. Well. Um. This may be rude to ask, and if it is I apologize, but what about feeding? I know you'll need blood. Does it have to come from me? If so, how?" I asked, looking down at my lap and biting my bottom lip out of nervousness.

"Oh! Well, we had never discussed such matters. I assumed that you two could work that out amongst yourselves. Should that have been in the contract?" Mr. Ferguson worriedly asked Niall.

"No, no. You are exactly right, Mr. Ferguson," Niall replied. He placed one of his hands over mine before continuing, "Mr. Northman, I understand that you do need blood to survive and that you prefer human blood to the synthetic blood. I will leave it between you and Sookie to decide how this is done, but I do require that she be willing, and that you make it as comfortable for her as possible. She has been sheltered from your world with good reason. Remember that I require you to respect her, and this definitely falls into that category. Am I clear?"

"Very. I do not want to make you uncomfortable, Sookie. We can discuss this later when you are ready, okay?" Eric replied smoothly.

I looked up and saw sincerity in his eyes, so even though I wasn't sure I would ever be ready, I said, "Okay."

"Well, then. Are there any more questions? No? Let's continue on. First, everyone will sign each of the contracts so that all parties, including myself, have a signed copy." When that was finished, Mr. Ferguson continued, "Next, we will take care of the first step of the blood bond. Mr. Northman, you brought the dagger and goblet, correct? Very good. Miss Stackhouse step over here and hold out your arm." I did as I was told, and Mr. Ferguson drew the blade of the dagger across my wrist and let the blood trickle into the goblet.

When enough blood was in the goblet, Eric took my wrist and asked, "May I? My saliva will heal your cut faster." I nodded, and he slowly dragged his tongue across my wrist. I didn't know whether to be disgusted from the blood or turned on by how sensual his tongue felt on my skin, which was a little awkward with Niall and Mr. Ferguson standing on either side of me.

The process was repeated on Eric's wrist, and once his blood was added to the cup, and Mr. Ferguson was satisfied that our blood was sufficiently mixed, he handed the goblet to me. I was pretty grossed out by the idea of drinking blood, but I closed my eyes and took a large sip. The blood was thick and coppery but with a hint of sweetness. I handed the goblet over to Eric, and he, of course, had no problem finishing off what was left.

Once that was done, Mr. Ferguson handed each of us a copy of the contract, informing us that we were all done. I was relieved because I wasn't sure how much longer I could hang onto my sanity. I had said a quick goodbye and I was almost to the door when I heard Eric ask, "Sookie, would you mind me walking you to your car?"

Can you really tell your new fiancée that he's not allowed to walk you to your car? Probably, but it's probably also very rude. I agreed, and we headed out together. As soon as we were outside, the Eric I met at Fangtasia came out more. I guess he had tried to be on his best behavior in front of Niall.

I was burning to know the answer ever since he walked through the door of the conference room, so I asked, "You didn't seem at all surprised to see me. How long have you known? Niall told me he hadn't told you who I was."

"And Niall didn't lie, if that's what is worrying you. But he did tell me that you were a telepath. When you revealed that you were a telepath that night at my bar it wasn't very difficult to put two and two together. Although I am a bit disappointed in you."

We had just reached my car and as I reached out to unlock it I replied, "Well, we can't all get what we want. Sorry to disappoint you so early on." His words stung. He barely knew me, and I was already a disappointment?

Before I could open my door, Eric turned me around so I was facing him and stretched his arms out on either side of me. "Aren't you even curious as to why? It's something you can fix. Perhaps an explanation would make me less disappointed," he said smoothly.

"Sure. Why am I such a disappointment to you?"

"Because you said you were Bill's, and clearly, you couldn't be because you had already agreed to be mine," he said, his voice like silk, as he leaned in to _sniff me?_ "So please tell me why you would agree to something that could be so disastrous."

"Look. I had no clue who you were. And to be honest, you kind of creeped me out, like you're doing right now. Can you back up a little bit?" He straightened his arms back up and looked me in the eyes waiting for me to continue. "I already told Bill that he was wrong, but I didn't know what would happen if you thought I was available. I trust Bill."

"Well, I don't," Eric said sharply. "And you shouldn't either. Be careful around him. He is too closely connected to Sophie-Anne for my liking. The timing of his arrival is too coincidental. In fact, just stay away from him entirely."

"Whoa! Hold on a second, buddy," I started, but before I could finish Eric growled at me.

"Buddy? _Never_ call me buddy."

"Well, then don't go trying to tell me who I can and can't be friends with. I know Niall trusts you and that gives you a lot of credit in my book, but Bill has been really sweet. In fact, he even warned me about you."

"Oh really? I'm curious. What did he have to say about me?" He asked in that smoothly amused voice of his.

"That you were ruthless, and you always get what you want, no matter what."

"This is true. But that's not necessarily a bad quality. I just know what I want and go for it. Isn't that what everyone does?"

"But at what cost? Does it matter to you if someone is hurt in the process?" I asked.

"Depends on the person," he answered nonchalantly. "But enough of this. It's all inconsequential. I did not intend to argue with you when I came out here. I wanted merely to request you come to Fangtasia tomorrow night."

"I have to work tomorrow night," I replied.

"Tell your boss you cannot come in. I have something of importance that needs to be dealt with and I need your assistance. Plus, it is appropriate to announce one's engagement after it has occurred, yes? Speaking of our engagement. I also wanted to give you this," he said, pulling a small red box out of his jacket pocket. "Pam tells me that it is appropriate for an engaged woman to have a ring. If you do not like it, you can go with Pam to find something else."

I opened the box to find a very large diamond solitaire over a platinum band encrusted with smaller diamonds all the way around it. It was gorgeous. It was simple but still elegant. I didn't even want to think about how much it cost.

Who was this man? He shifted moods so quickly, from angry to gentle, amused to smooth that I had difficulty keeping up with him. And now he hands me an engagement ring because someone told him that it was appropriate? I didn't know what to make of it. I whispered, "Thank you" and put the box into my purse.

"Are you not going to wear it? Do you not like it?"

"I, um, well. I like it, yes. It's just…I'm still adjusting. Can I just have some time to adjust? I don't have thousands of years of experience like you and Niall." I could feel my walls starting to crumble. I was going to breakdown soon, and I didn't want it to be in front of Eric Northman.

"Of course. You are overwhelmed. I will let you go home. What about tomorrow night?"

"I'll talk to my boss. What time do I need to be there?" I didn't feel like I could turn him down after the ring. Perhaps he should've started with that, and I would've been too shocked to argue with him about anything.

"Please be there by ten," he replied.

"Okay. Ten it is," and I turned to get into my car.

Luckily he backed away so that I could open my door and get in. But before I could shut my door, he leaned in, kissed my cheek and said, "Good night, Sookie."

"Good night," I mumbled back.

Somehow I managed to hold it all together until I got home. I knew Gran was waiting to hear how everything went so I quickly went inside and made my way to her bedroom. I sat down on her bed and immediately started telling her about Eric and what was expected of me in my marriage. When I was finished, I asked, "So will you move with me, Gran?"

"Oh Sookie, dear. I'm sorry, but no."

"What? Why not?" I asked. I couldn't understand what would stop her from going with me.

"Sookie, this has been my home for over fifty years. I don't want to leave here. Besides, you need to do this one on your own. You'll never learn how to get by on your own or properly build a relationship with Eric if I'm underfoot all of the time."

"You won't be underfoot. You'll just be there to help and to give advice when I need it."

"And I can do that just as well over the phone. Or you can come here for a visit whenever you wish, and we can talk."

I started tearing up. It was the last straw. I simply could not handle any more changes or disappointments that night.

"My dear, you'll be fine. You'll see," Gran said as she wrapped her arms around me.

I let her hold me while I cried for awhile and then bid her good night and went to my room. I quickly pulled my clothes off and put a nightgown on. I crawled into bed and just let go of all of the tension and overwhelming feelings I had been bottling up all day and night and cried myself to sleep.

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A/N 2: Link to Sookie's engagement ring is on my profile.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: First off, I initially forgot to mention at the end of the last chapter that the link to Sookie's engagement ring was on my profile. I fixed it, but a number of you read it before I got around to mentioning it. My apologies. The link is still on my profile though in case you want to check it out.

Secondly, a HUGE thanks to scattered21 for once again betaing in Miss Construed's absence and for doing it last minute, despite the holidays and having to get ready for family.

Thirdly, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope everyone that celebrates Christmas enjoys their time with family and friends. If you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you still enjoy the day.

Sorry for the short chapter. I really wanted to get to the next night but I've been sick and Eric was being rather mum on things and I just needed to get this done so that you all would have something to read. Hopefully you aren't too disappointed with the chapter.

Disclaimer: CH owns these guys; I'm just wrapping them up in different paper for a little while.

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EPOV

As I drove from Fangtasia to Niall's office, I smirked to myself as I thought over the events of the past week. Unbeknownst to her, I had visited Sookie several times, curious to learn more about the woman I would be tied to for as many as a thousand years. I also needed to confirm for myself that her relationship with Compton had remained platonic.

The handful of conversations I had overheard between her and her grandmother were very enlightening. She was unsure about marrying a vampire, especially one she'd never met and about whom she knew nothing. She wanted a marriage that was based on love, not an alliance. She wanted a loving husband with whom she could have several children. Instead, she found herself committed to marrying a vampire who she did not know, could not have children with, and who might prove to be incapable of loving her. She clearly was not happy about our marriage.

I had to admit, I admired the loyalty this woman showed to her fae relations. She was making what she clearly felt to be a huge sacrifice to comply with Niall's requirements.

I also found that the older woman was very wise, for a human. She continually reminded Sookie to not have such a negative perspective going into this. I silently thanked her, as I knew all too well that we would both be miserable if Sookie didn't at least try to be cooperative. She seemed to know exactly what to say to calm Sookie. However, it also was clear that the grandmother was a very trusting woman, as she was relying upon Compton's supposed affections for her granddaughter as proof that vampires could love. I was as convinced of Compton's affections for Sookie as I was that he could walk into the daylight unharmed, although I wouldn't mind seeing him attempt the latter.

I had witnessed two exchanges between Compton and Sookie, and both events had angered me. First, Compton continued to warn Sookie about me as though I were evil personified, and then he had all but forced her to take his blood. Considering that willingly giving a human blood was a rare occurrence for a vampire, I now had even more reasons to question his motives. Surely, he did not really believe that I would kidnap the girl, did he? It was utter foolishness, and I was pleased when Sookie did not buy into his story. She continued to refuse his requests to allow him to claim her or to take his blood. At least the girl had some sense of propriety, even if she had allowed him to make his claim when they were at Fangtasia. We would have to discuss their relationship once she knew she was mine.

I pulled into an available spot in front of Niall's office and rechecked my pocket for the ring. Pam was very pleased with herself for acquiring it. Of course, she also used my money to buy herself a new pair of earrings and a bracelet, which could have been the origin of most of her glee. I really had spoiled my child too much. But in the end, it was worth it because I did not have to worry about finding a ring for Sookie.

I walked into the office, giving the receptionist my name. She told me that everyone else had arrived and showed me to the conference room. I was glad Sookie had already arrived. I was looking forward to her reaction when she realized who she would be marrying. She did not disappoint.

When I walked into the room, I noticed Sookie was at the other end. She whipped around as soon as Niall had acknowledged my presence and gasped when she saw me. In the process she had also dropped her glass. I quickly caught it for her, which ultimately made for a better entrance. She seemed to be unsure if this was a trick being played on her. Seeking confirmation, she looked around the room, her eyes finally settling on Niall.

As she seemed to be frozen in thought, I cleared my throat to remind her of my presence beside her. She looked back at me, clearly still in shock, and I smirked down at her. If nothing else, this bit was amusing.

Realizing I was still holding her water, she mumbled a quick "thank you" and rushed over to Niall's side. Shock I could understand, but this Sookie seemed skittish; I would have to readjust my plans, if I was to make her feel more comfortable around me. It would only be fun teasing her if she was the bold Sookie I had met a week ago, and not the skittish Sookie I was seeing tonight. I wondered how much of the change had to do with what Compton had told her about me. Was she now frightened of me?

Niall made the proper introductions, and I couldn't help but act as though this was our first introduction. Clearly, Niall had no clue she had been to Fangtasia, or he wouldn't be making the introductions. I wondered if she had kept the information from him for some reason. I was amused that she played along and could tell from her tone that the bold Sookie I had met was still in there. Perhaps she just needed time to get over the shock of learning I was to be her betrothed. No doubt she would soon realize just how fortunate she was.

The meeting began, and Mr. Ferguson went over the details of the alliance. Nothing was new, and I intended to read over the contract before signing, so I just nodded my agreement with the details. I was more interested in watching Sookie's reaction to the terms of the marriage, as I was unsure how much Niall had already told her. Apparently, Niall had shared quite a bit with her, as very little seemed to surprise her. She only reacted to the two week time period clause.

When given the opportunity, I quickly read over the contract and found everything to be as we had discussed. I was then free to truly take in the sight of Sookie. She looked over at me once, but she quickly looked away when she found me staring at her. I was pleased, however, that she had still blushed. I would have so much fun inciting that little reaction; I enjoyed it immensely.

After Niall had completed his review of the contract, and Mr. Ferguson had asked if there were any questions, I was surprised that Sookie spoke up; she had been so quiet all evening. I was displeased when she asked if her grandmother could join her in my house; I wanted her to myself, and I could not easily seduce her with her grandmother underfoot. But I had decided to do what I could to make her more comfortable around me, and I could see how important this was to her from how much she had tensed up waiting for my response. It was clear that my acquiescence on this matter would please her. From what I had overheard the past week, I assumed her grandmother was a proud woman, and I was confident she would turn down the offer. I told Sookie that her grandmother could come as well and saw her visibly relax.

Her next question about feeding both shocked and amused me with its boldness, even if her tone when she asked it was anything but bold. Niall and I had not discussed the issue. I did not want to upset him, and I assumed he did not want to think about it. I was pleased when Niall conceded that it was an issue that Sookie and I would have to discuss amongst ourselves at some point, and I assured her that we would talk when she was ready. But I did plan on bringing the matter up by the time of the engagement party if she had not. It would be too difficult smelling her in my house and not being able to drink her sweet blood. I would simply have to ease her into the discussion. I was certain that I could do it over the next couple of weeks.

She had no more questions so we signed the contracts. I was pleased with Sookie; her beauty, smell, and attitude had erased any hesitation I might once have had.

Next was the blood exchange; I looked forward to my first taste of Sookie's blood. After Mr. Ferguson had sliced her wrist and obtained the required blood from her, I asked her if she would permit me to seal her wrist for her. It would allow me to taste her blood and would be a step closer to getting her to agree to allow me to feed from her.

When she nodded, I brought her wrist up to my mouth and ran my tongue across the cut. I had to suppress a groan as the taste of her blood hit my tongue; I knew Niall would not react favorably to such a reaction. The taste of her blood was better than I could have imagined. I was a very lucky vampire to now have such a delicacy at my disposal. It was light and sweet from her innocence and purity and contained the essence of fae. It was perfect, and I was very much looking forward to having it regularly. I would also make sure she was clear that no other vampire was to feed from her without my permission. I already knew that unless Pam was in dire need, no one else would be allowed to taste my Sookie.

Her wound sealed, I let her wrist go and held my own out for Mr. Ferguson. Once my blood had been added to the cup, I sealed my own wrist while Sookie took a drink of the blood. Her facial expression made it clear that she was not pleased to have to drink it, but I was sure she would get over that eventually.

There were many positive side effects to vampire blood, including enhanced sexual desire and stamina. If there were not, there would not be such a market for them. Drainers had become a problem as the demand for V, the street name for vampire blood, had risen. I spent far too much time, which was any time at all, dealing with this issue. Again, I recognized Sookie's telepathy as being useful in resolving yet another immediate issue. With her assistance, we would be able to uncover the leader, or leaders, of the drainer groups in Area Five.

I could instantly identify when my blood entered Sookie. The last human I had given my blood to was Pam when I turned her. I now would have to adjust to feeling Sookie's emotions, and right now she was feeling many – apprehension, relief, tiredness, fear, and sadness, just to name a few.

Sookie handed the goblet to me, and I drank what was left. I was surprised and delighted at the way our combined blood tasted.

With everything completed, Mr. Ferguson announced that we were finished. Sookie had quickly gathered her things, said goodbye, and rushed to the door. I stopped her, asking if I could walk her to her car, expecting it was unlikely she would deny me. I felt her reluctance in allowing me to do so and was pleased when she agreed. I wanted her to come to Fantasia the following night, and I needed to give her the ring.

We were almost to her car when I felt determination coming from her, and she suddenly asked, "You didn't seem at all surprised to see me. How long have you known? Niall told me he hadn't told you who I was." She was smart to have figured out that I knew her when I came in tonight.

I thought perhaps she had thought Niall lied to her, so I quickly told her, "And Niall didn't lie, if that's what is worrying you. But he did tell me that you were a telepath. When you revealed that you were a telepath that night at my bar, it wasn't very difficult to put two-and-two together. Although I am a bit disappointed in you." It hadn't been that difficult to deduce with the information available to me. She seemed to believe me.

When I told her she had disappointed me, I expected her to fight me, but instead I felt…_hurt?_ Her response confirmed it, as I could hear the hurt in her voice. I suddenly felt the need to correct her assessment and prodded her into asking me what I meant.

Spinning her around and effectively trapping her by placing my arms on either side of her, I asked, "Aren't you even curious as to why? It's something you can fix. Perhaps an explanation would make me less disappointed."

I could tell she was annoyed with me by the tone of her voice when she replied, "Sure. Why am I such a disappointment to you?"

I leaned in to inhale her scent as I explained, "Because you said you were Bill's, and clearly, you couldn't be because you had already agreed to be mine. So please tell me why you would agree to something that could be so disastrous."

I was amused when she told me that I "creeped her out." She was the first woman to ever tell me such a thing, and I wondered what it was about her that would cause her to have this kind of reaction. But I was somewhat satisfied with her excuse until she told me she trusted Compton. How naïve was she to fall for his act?

Angrily, I responded, "Well, I don't. And you shouldn't either. Be careful around him. He is too closely connected to Sophie-Anne for my liking. The timing of his arrival is too coincidental. In fact, just stay away from him entirely." I was also annoyed about the lies he had told her about me, trying to scare her, but I wasn't going to share that with her. Unfortunately, right now it was obvious she would believe him over me.

I felt her anger before she started her rant, but I cut her off when she called me "buddy." I would not accept such disrespect from anyone, especially not from my betrothed.

Disrespect aside, I admired her tenacity in standing up to me when she said, "Well, then don't go trying to tell me who I can and can't be friends with. I know Niall trusts you and that gives you a lot of credit in my book, but Bill has been really sweet. In fact, he even warned me about you." It was clear Pam and Sookie would get along well.

I was amused that she had the guts to tell me that Compton had warned her against me. I was curious as to what she would share, so I asked her, "Oh really? I'm curious. What did he have to say about me?"

When she only replied with, "That you were ruthless, and you always get what you want, no matter what," I wondered if she was scared to admit to the other tales he had told, or if she just did not believe them. I let it go and pointed out that ruthlessness was not necessarily a fault.

Changing subjects, I responded, "But enough of this. It's all inconsequential. I did not intend to argue with you when I came out here. I wanted merely to request you come to Fangtasia tomorrow night." I wanted to know if she could uncover my thief.

I grew frustrated then when she tried to tell me she had to work. Clearly, bold Sookie was back, and, currently, I was finding her annoying. I was not accustomed to people questioning or defying my orders. This would never do if she intended to continue treating me like this.

"Tell your boss you cannot come in. I have something of importance that needs to be dealt with and I need your assistance. Plus, it is appropriate to announce one's engagement after it has occurred, yes? Speaking of our engagement, I also wanted to give you this. Pam tells me that it is appropriate for an engaged woman to have a ring. If you do not like it, you can go with Pam to find something else." I took the box out of my pocket, and as I handed it to her I felt both shock and tenderness now added to her jumble of emotions. I sincerely hoped that she was not always like this, or feeling her emotions would be draining, especially after the bond was fully formed.

She looked at the ring and said, "Thank you," but then placed the box in her purse.

I found I was upset she had not put the ring on her finger. Was it not suitable? I had already told her that she could go with Pam to buy a different ring if she did not like it. But after Pam had informed me of the 'hands-off' message an engagement ring sent to other suitors, I was determined for her to wear it. So I asked her, "Are you not going to wear it? Do you not like it?"

When she responded, "I, um, well. I like it, yes. It's just…I'm still adjusting. Can I just have some time to adjust? I don't have thousands of years of experience like you and Niall," I realized that her jumble of emotions must be overwhelming her. I was relieved to know that she did not always operate with that many emotions raging at one time.

"Of course. You are overwhelmed. I will let you go home. What about tomorrow night?"

I was pleased when she told me, "I'll talk to my boss. What time do I need to be there?" Perhaps I should have begun our conversation with the ring, and she would have been more amenable instead of so argumentative. I had much to learn about my future wife.

"Please be there by ten," I informed her. It would allow me to introduce her to my subjects. Plus, I planned on having an employee meeting at the end of the night and wanted Sookie to read them for me. Her presence earlier in the evening would not make it seem as though she had attended for just that purpose.

After she had agreed, by saying, "Okay. Ten it is," I backed away, so she could enter her car.

I bid her good night, kissing her on her cheek. I would make her used to my touch in small steps if that's what it took. But eventually my smell would be on her. The ring would stop human suitors, and my smell would stop vampire suitors, especially Compton.

When she left, I got in my car and headed back to Fangtasia. I checked to make sure that everything was running smoothly and then flew to Bon Temps. Sookie was so overwhelmed when she left, I wanted to make sure she arrived home safely.

After I arrived at her house, I noticed Compton was on his way to Sookie's. I did not want him to discover the details of the alliance, so I made my presence known and told him to leave immediately. I could tell he wanted to argue with me on the matter, but he was already on thin ice with me and knew it, so he conceded.

I would have to tell Sookie not to discuss the alliance after dark. It would potentially reveal my own eavesdropping and checking up on her if I had to explain how I knew Compton was lurking, but it was more important that Bill not learn of these things. I only hoped she had not confided in him already, as I recalled she had told me she trusted him.

Once I was assured that Bill had returned to his home, I got closer to the window from where I overheard Sookie already talking with her grandmother. She was telling her what would be expected in the marriage.

"Tell me of your betrothed, dear!" her grandmother inquired.

"Well, it's Eric Northman. He's over a thousand years old and the Sheriff of Area Five. He's gorgeous – tall, blond hair, deep blue eyes – but he's arrogant, and he apparently sleeps with just about any woman that is available."

I was very pleased that she seemed to be attracted to me physically. It was information that would make seducing her a lot easier. But the rest of her assessment I found displeasing. I was confident, not arrogant. I also would not have sex with just any woman; I did have standards. I wondered where she heard such a lie. Had it been from Compton, or had she overheard something when she had visited Fangtasia?

I heard her continue, "I can understand him not being a virgin, especially being over a thousand years old, but Gran, I heard those women at Fangtasia, and I did not like what I heard. I don't want to be just another notch on his bedpost. And I don't want to be with someone that refuses to be faithful. Not only will I feel disrespected, but I will look like an idiot."

So it was from what she had overheard, and my fidelity would apparently be an issue. I would have to consider how to address this problem. I wondered if I could justify my dalliances by suggesting that it was business? After all, most of the women did come into the bar to both see me and be with me.

"Well, dear, I can understand your feelings. You'll need to speak with him about that. But I'm certain that once he gets to know you, he won't want anyone else," her grandmother replied. Clearly, her grandmother was biased. Sookie was beautiful, but I seriously doubted one woman, especially one as inexperienced as Sookie, would be able to sate me.

Besides, I had agreed to leave her purity intact until the wedding. Surely they did not expect me to be celibate for an entire year? I suddenly found myself unhappy that I had foolishly agreed to do so. Fortunately it was not a condition of the alliance. But I would still have to find a way around it without angering Niall. I thought about my dilemma some more. Perhaps I could consider _trying_ to be faithful, if I had Sookie's blood and body to satisfy me. Her inexperience could prove to be a delightful advantage. I could find my pleasure in teaching her how to have sex with me and in showing her the many ways she could please me.

The conversation drifted to the subject of Sookie moving in with me, and she asked her grandmother if she would move as well. I could feel how upset Sookie was, but I was pleased when her grandmother said that she wouldn't go. My gamble paid off, and I did not have to look like an ass for not allowing her grandmother to move in. In just two weeks, I would have Sookie all to myself. I was suddenly looking forward to it.

Sookie went to bed shortly afterwards. She was so upset that she cried herself to sleep. I found myself wanting to make things better for her and then questioned why I even cared. There was nothing she could do to back out now, so there was no need to console her. I decided I was just uncomfortable with these unusual emotions I was feeling. I did not want to deal with them. Sookie would get over things soon enough.

After my betrothed had fallen asleep, I made my way back to Fangtasia. I had some details I needed to discuss with Pam before tomorrow night.

When I arrived, I called Pam back to my office.

Knowing that other vampires might be able to overhear us, I began speaking in Old Norse. "Pam, the alliance has been signed, and we will be having a party to officially announce my engagement in two weeks. I'm putting you in charge of planning for it. Of course, you will be working with Sookie on arranging everything. She will be here tomorrow night if you wish to speak with her about it."

"So, Sookie actually showed up? I must say, I'm a bit impressed. From what you had told me, I wondered if she would, or if she would simply back out. She must really love the fae."

"Yes, I agree. I had wondered the same thing as well. She did, however, seem skittish. She has a slightly negative opinion of me because of the lies Compton has told her and what she overheard when she was here earlier. We must change this. Having to live with her will not be pleasant if she cannot enjoy my company, nor I hers."

Pam snorted before responding, "Simply ban Compton from associating with her. As for what she hears here, I would think she would be pleased at how admired you are for your _skills_."

I laughed at Pam's innuendo before replying, "Yes, well, apparently fidelity is big with her, and she believes I am incapable of it."

"Are you capable of it?"

"Of course I am, if I have a woman who can please me _and_ keep up with my need for blood and sex."

Pam shrugged as she said, "We shall see. I don't see how the little virgin will be able to keep you amused for long, but with you teaching her, perhaps I will be proven wrong. So what are you going to do about Compton?"

"For now, nothing. I have told Sookie she is not to associate with him. She was quite upset with me for trying to tell her she could not be friends with him. So, I've decided to tell her tomorrow night of his connection with Sophie-Anne. I believe she is smart enough to not inform him of our alliance after that. But if she continues her association with him, it will allow me to figure out what he is plotting."

"Oh! I think I may like this human. If she stands up to you often she will be an endless source of amusement for me," Pam replied, laughing.

I groaned, knowing that Pam would be amused by Sookie. I could only hope I could temper Sookie's defiance of me before Pam could encourage her too much.

We briefly chatted about Fangtasia, and then Pam went to head back out to the bar to make sure everything was running smoothly. Before she left, I said, "Oh, Pam. Call in all of our staff for a meeting after closing tomorrow night." She raised an eyebrow at me, and I knew she was asking if I planned on having Sookie read the human employees as we had discussed. I nodded, and she walked back out to the bar.

I took care of a few area matters, and then I headed out to the bar to enthrall the vermin and choose my meal for the night. In honor of my engagement and the alliance, I chose a curvy blond woman. She was not as beautiful as Sookie, but from behind, I could imagine she was my future wife.

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A/N 2: Finalists have been chosen and voting is under way for the Poppin' Cherries contest. I'm honored that my story, The Pact, was chosen as a finalist. Please make sure you read and review all of the awesome stories and vote for your two favorites. The link is http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2130969/Poppin_Cherries You have until Friday, Jan. 1st at 11:59 PM PST to cast your vote.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: You have my sincerest apologies for posting this late. I'd love to blame the holidays, but the truth is that I just struggled writing the last half of this chapter. I don't really know why, I just did.

Many thanks to scattered21 for betaing this for me at the last minute. You rock!

And I keep forgetting to say this, but to everyone that has favorited or alerted this story, or me, I love you and you rock. Of course, huge hugs and kisses also go to everyone that's left me a review. Seriously, I never expected y'all to love this story this much. It means a lot to me that you do!

Disclaimer: CH owns the characters; I'm just giving them different resolutions for a little while.

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SPOV

I woke up the next morning with a serious headache. I was really going to have to get a better grip on my emotions and accept my situation. The emotional hangovers were becoming annoying.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was already 10 A.M., so I crawled out of bed and dragged myself to the kitchen for some coffee. I didn't usually sleep so late, but my mind needed rest. I was glad when I discovered Gran left the coffee pot on; I needed the caffeine boost.

Gran was nowhere to be found, so I assumed she was already out tending to her flowers. That was fine by me; I needed some peace and quiet to think. Usually, I would have gone out to sunbathe, but I couldn't face Gran just yet. I had told her the basics last night, but I hadn't revealed how I was feeling about everything. Heck, even I didn't know how I felt about everything yet.

Eric seemed nice enough last night, but he was also under the scrutiny of my great grandfather. He probably felt he had to behave in front of him for the sake of the alliance. Although, I had to admit he hadn't behaved too badly when we were alone at my car, so perhaps Bill had exaggerated about Eric.

Eric's possessiveness was definitely going to be an issue. I understood that in terms of a claim in the vampire world, I was _his_, but in my world, I didn't belong to anyone. While I had agreed to this marriage for the sake of the alliance, doing so didn't make me his property.

Unfortunately, I wasn't even completely sure what Eric claiming me meant in his world. I knew that it meant no other vampire was allowed to feed from me, but what else did it mean? Would he think he could control me? If so, how far would his control extend? I sighed, sincerely hoping Eric's claim on me only covered taking my blood. Even the thought of Eric's feeding I could just barely tolerate, if only because his doing so would keep me safe from other vamps who might view me as a tasty snack.

I realized I hadn't given a lot of thought to the process of sharing my blood with Eric. How would we even do that? What little I did know was that the acts of feeding and sex were usually closely tied for vampires. Would he be able to control himself if he fed from me when I didn't want to have sex with him? Niall had made it very clear to me that he expected us to wait until our wedding night to have sex. Now I wondered if Eric knew that Niall wanted me to stay untouched until our wedding night? If not, would Eric assume that because we were now engaged, he could do whatever he wanted with me? The thought frightened me more than a little.

Honestly, I was scared of moving into Eric's house, and it wasn't only because I was afraid of living somewhere without Gran. A big part of it was that I wasn't sure of what Eric would expect from me, and when he would expect it.

These were all good questions and concerns, but I really didn't know with whom to speak about them. Who would be the best person to answer my questions? Surely not Eric himself; he was certain to be biased in his own favor. I also really didn't feel comfortable asking Niall about such intimate matters. I paused, beginning to feel overwhelmed again. I definitely needed someone more knowledgeable than I was, someone who would both understand my fears, and answer my questions about the sex and blood without it being too weird between us.

I called Claudine. She agreed to meet me in an hour for lunch, assuring me that we could chat then.

While I waited, I remembered Sam would need to know that I couldn't come in for work tonight. I was vague when I called him, just saying that something had come up, and I would be unable to make it in. He was immediately concerned, but when I told him everything was okay, he let it slide. I knew I'd have to give him my two weeks notice the following day. I wasn't looking forward to that conversation, but I couldn't put it off any longer.

After I got off the phone with Sam, I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Knowing I'd have to dress up for Fangtasia later, I delayed taking my shower until then.

I went back out to the kitchen and began to prepare lunch. I marinated some chicken breasts while I chopped ingredients for a salad. Once the salad was assembled, I put the chicken in the oven to bake and curled up on the couch to read until it was done.

While I was slicing the cooked chicken, Claudine arrived, and Gran followed her inside the house. After Gran had washed up a bit from her gardening chores, we three sat down together for lunch.

We casually spoke of mundane things during our meal, for which I was very grateful. I had already heard more than enough from Gran about going into this engagement and marriage with positive thinking. I planned on trying my best, but first I needed to just vent. Claudine was the one person that would let me do it without judging me or giving me a hard time about it.

When Gran volunteered to clean up the lunch dishes, Claudine and I decided to head outside to talk. We walked out to the front yard and sat down beneath the big oak tree.

"So, tell me all about last night!" Claudine demanded.

"It went well, I guess. I met my future husband, found out what was expected of me, and the alliance was signed," I replied.

Claudine simply rolled her eyes at me and then said, "I knew it went well. Grandfather told me that much. I want to know the name of your future husband!"

"His name is Eric Northman, he's the…" I began, but Claudine cut me off.

"No way! The Sheriff of Area Five? You're joking right?" Claudine exclaimed.

I wasn't sure if her reaction was a good sign or not, so I merely replied, "Nope, not joking. Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area Five."

Claudine didn't make me wait too long to wonder for her reaction, immediately exclaiming, "He's gorgeous!"

"Well, yeah, but he's also very arrogant," I said, rolling _my_ eyes this time. Clearly, his good looks were well known to many.

"I could see him being that way. But how do you know that already?"

I gave in and told her about my trip to Fangtasia with Bill, and what Bill had told me about Eric while we were there. I also shared what I had heard from the fangbangers' thoughts, and how Eric acted in his club.

"Well, I'd be skeptical about whatever this Bill guy tells you. I mean, he seems fairly interested in you, and any guy would talk badly about the competition."

"Maybe, but what about the fangbangers?" I asked Claudine.

"Well, you could look at the positive; sounds like he is good in bed," she replied with a giggle. When I glared at her she continued more circumspectly, "But you can't really put too much stock in what you heard from them either. You were in a vampire bar. _His bar. _Most women probably only go there for _him_. It's not like you went to the mall and heard all of the women thinking about him. There is no guy on the planet that would be able to resist that kind of attention. And you've seen him; it's well deserved. If I wasn't afraid of being drained, I just might be jealous of you."

I snorted in response to Claudine's last statement. But she made a good point about the women. Since I knew feeding and sex were tied for vampires, I supposed I couldn't really blame him. But I still wasn't comfortable with it. He clearly was not interested in a monogamous relationship or there wouldn't have been so many women that had already been with him and so many others that thought they might also have a chance. His unabashed promiscuity was really the source of my discomfort. Would he continue feeding and having sex with all of those women even though he was now engaged to me? I shyly shared these concerns with Claudine.

"Aw, sweetie. I can't answer that. As your cousin and best friend I would hope that he could be monogamous. As a fae, and therefore part of the alliance, I am tempted to say that he better be or there will be repercussions. But realistically, he is a vampire and because of the alliance you must marry him, regardless of his fidelity. Maybe you could speak with him about it? But just remember, if you ask him to give up feeding from others, you are going to have to be prepared to be his sole source of blood. Can you do that?"

"I don't know. I guess I could try. I'm mainly worried because of the sex part of feeding. But it must possible for vampires to feed without having sex, right?"

"Of course it is. He may not like it, but it's possible."

Claudine really was becoming a good source of vampire lore for me. For a faerie, she knew quite a bit. It both pleased and comforted me to know she would always be available to help me.

"Okay. I guess I'll have to talk to him. I see him tonight, so I'll try to work up the courage before then."

"Oh, you do, huh?" Claudine asked as she waggled her eyebrows. "What are you two doing?"

"I don't know. He said he had something he needed to take care of that required my assistance."

"Hmm. I'll bet I know what he needs your help with," Claudine replied and winked at me.

"Claudine! No!" I said, slapping her arm as I blushed. "Not_ that_."

Then I stopped and thought for a moment. "Oh God! You don't really think he's already demanding _blood,_ do you? He said we would wait until I was ready for our discussion about feeding before he would expect it from me."

I took a deep breath. "So it can't be that! And Niall has said no sex until the wedding night, so it can't be that either. No, you just have to be wrong."

"Oh, calm down. I'm only teasing. I'm sure he has a non-sexual and non-feeding reason. Maybe he wants to test your telepathy skills."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I really was too nervous about the whole blood and sex thing. Eric and I would need to speak about it very soon.

"Possibly, or maybe he just wants to exert his claim over me. He got all pissy about me allowing Bill to claim me when we were at Fangtasia a week ago."

"Well, that was stupid on your part." I opened my mouth to reply, but Claudine kept going. "I know, I know. You didn't know what he would do if you were available. But really, didn't it cross your mind that it was a bad idea to allow one vampire to claim you when you knew you would be engaged to another vampire in a week?"

"I wasn't thinking about any timeline. I was just trying to make it through that one night."

"Well, you're going to have to start thinking about more than just the moment, Sookie. Vampires are tricky, manipulative, and possessive. You're going to have to watch what you say and do around them, at all times."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'll try harder. It's not like I was exactly groomed to be the future wife of a vampire. I know very little about their world. Niall made sure of that."

"I know," Claudine sighed. "We're going to have to teach you. Hopefully your vampire will help."

"_My_ vampire? Ha! I don't think you should ever say that in front of him. He made it very clear that _I_ was _his_ last night. By the way, what does that mean?"

"Well, it means that you are his human. No one is allowed to feed from you or touch you without his permission. If they do, they will be punished."

"I know that. What else does it mean? Does it mean that he can control me?"

"In most cases, yes, but in those cases the human doesn't mind. With you, I suppose it will be different. You will be his wife." Claudine suddenly got very serious. "But you will have to obey him in public, Sookie. First, because it goes with the cover – he's marrying you to bring you under his protection as an asset. Second, because you know so very little about the vampire world right now, it is safest to just follow his lead when it comes to vampire politics."

"But that's so archaic! This is the twenty-first century!" I scoffed.

"Yes, but it is the way of things. There is nothing you can do to change it, so just deal with it. You don't have to do everything he says when you are alone. But for the sake of the alliance and your own butt, you better learn to get over it. Just accept it as the way things are when you two are in public."

_Crap_. What had I gotten myself into? What made it worse was that I knew Claudine was being completely serious. She was all for women being equal and being able to take care of themselves as much as I was. For her to tell me these things meant they were really important; they weren't something I would be able to change.

I didn't want to be controlled by Eric, or even to pretend to be controlled. Doing so would mean I was weak. And what would people think of me if I obeyed Eric in everything? That I was just some floozy that couldn't think for herself? I could think for myself just fine, thank you very much.

_Stupid vampires and their rules!_ Why couldn't they adapt to the twenty-first century for crying-out-loud? Such archaic systems as theirs had died out for a reason.

Claudine wisely gave me some time to think about everything she had said to me. We sat under the tree, silent now, for probably thirty minutes while I processed all she had told me.

I finally broke the silence, saying, "I know you wouldn't tell me all of this if it wasn't true. And I know that I can't change the way things are, but what are people going to think of me, when they see me obeying everything Eric says? And what's Eric opinion of me going to be? Is anyone going to respect me if it looks like I can't make decisions for myself?"

"What makes you think people will think that? It's not like Eric's going to be telling you how to sit or walk or talk or what to eat or drink. And he's not going to ask you to give him foot rubs in public or stupid shit like that. _I'll_ kick his ass if he takes it that far."

"If he doesn't drain you first, you mean?" I quipped back.

"Shut it. No vamp is draining me. I don't care how good he looks. _Anyways_, It's just going to be directions on how to behave in the presence of other vampires – when to speak, when to stay quiet, when to leave, things like that. The only thing I could see you being truly uncomfortable with would be him taking blood from you in public. But why not just discuss it with him first? I've heard he is very fair, and he treats his employees and those serving under him quite well. He has also managed to stay alive for over 1,000 years. If he requests blood from you in front of others, it's going to be for a good reason."

"But..." I started, when Claudine cut me off.

"Talk to him, Sookie. Tell him upfront what you are and are not comfortable doing with him. You want him to respect you, right? He'll respect you more if you speak with him about it first instead of publicly disobeying him, especially when it could have been avoided. Few men want to be seen as being the weaker half of a relationship. I'm sure that goes double for male vampires, and especially for Eric, who is in a position of power."

"You're right," I sighed.

"I know I am," Claudine said with an air of arrogance. But then she winked and started laughing, breaking the tense mood. I couldn't help but laugh with her. Claudine's happiness was contagious. When she smiled, you smiled; when she laughed, you laughed.

Our conversation drifted to more pleasant things, and we spoke and rested in the shade for another hour or so, enjoying our time to merely relax. All too soon, dark clouds began to appear. When we realized that an afternoon thunderstorm was rolling in, we reluctantly stood and walked back to the house. After I finally relented and agreed to let Claudine take me shopping in a few days for a dress for the engagement party, she gave me a hug, said "goodbye" to Gran, and left.

Surprisingly, I still had plenty of time before I had to even think about getting ready for Fangtasia. Since I wasn't sure how late I would have to stay out, I decided I'd use the extra time to take a nap. The sound of rain hitting the tin roof was noisy, but it was familiar and comforting. I relaxed to the soothing sound of it and was quickly asleep.

I woke up a few hours later to the delicious smells of Gran's cooking. Entering the kitchen, I found she had made a pot roast with potatoes and carrots. She had also just put a blackberry cobbler, the best kind of cobbler on the planet, into the oven. I quickly set the table so we could eat dinner.

Gran asked some more questions about Eric and the alliance. I was still uncertain what I thought about it all, but the conversation with Claudine had helped a lot, so I shared some of what had been said with Gran. She seemed pleased to learn that I was finally beginning to develop a more positive attitude.

After clearing the dinner dishes, I scooped a big helping of cobbler for both of us and topped it with some vanilla ice cream. I was definitely going to either have to get Gran's recipes, or I would be visiting her just about every day. Her food was so comforting; it always put me in a relaxed state. It was a very welcome feeling tonight, especially since I had no clue what was about to happen.

Finishing up our cobbler and ice cream desserts didn't take long. I offered to do dishes and clean up the kitchen. When I was finished I realized I only had an hour before I had to leave for Fangtasia.

I headed for the bathroom to shower since I couldn't put off getting ready any longer.

Wrapping up in a towel to dry off, I used the blow-dryer on my hair and then applied some mascara and lip gloss. Time for the tough part. I scanned my closet looking for miracles, but once again found myself with very limited options. I now knew the normal style of dress for Fangtasia, but I was not about to start dressing like a fangbanger just because I was engaged to the vampire owner of the bar. I finally settled on a conservative but cute white cotton skirt that hit just above the knee and a light pink top.

As I was transferring my stuff to my matching pink purse, I discovered the ring box I had thrown into my clutch last night. I sat on my bed, contemplating what I should do about the ring. Putting on that ring would make everything very real, and I wasn't sure I was ready for all of that just yet. But surprisingly, I would have sworn Eric actually seemed upset that I wasn't going to wear his ring. I also recalled that he would be announcing our engagement tonight._ Crap again._

I finally realized I needed to put on my big girl pants and accept the hand that had been dealt to me. Wearing the ring would show Eric that I was being cooperative and would make him more receptive when I spoke with him about the things that were weighing on my mind. I took a deep breath, removed the ring from the box, and slid it onto my left ring finger. I didn't know how he had managed it, but it was a perfect fit. It really was a beautiful ring, but it was quite heavy. Or perhaps it was just my mind making it seem that way. I wasn't really sure.

I slid on a pair of white sandals, took a final look in the mirror, and headed out into the living room to say goodnight to Gran. As I bent to give her a kiss on her cheek, she grabbed my hands and felt the ring. Immediately, she held my hand up for inspection.

"Oh dear! You didn't mention that he had given you a ring! Why weren't you wearing it last night?"

"Um, I just couldn't. I was too overwhelmed."

"Sookie, the man gives you a ring, and you don't wear it? That was rude."

"It's not as though it was a romantic proposal, Gran. Eric didn't drop to one knee and confess his undying love for me. He simply handed me the box, almost as an afterthought. And he seemed to understand I wasn't ready to put it on just yet." I paused, needing to calm myself before I could continue.

"Besides, it's on my finger now; doesn't that count for anything?" I was upset because I knew she was right, but I was simply unable to wear his ring last night.

"Well, yes. At least you are wearing it now. It is a very beautiful ring. It suits you."

"Thank you, I guess. Well, I need to leave now. Don't wait up for me; I have no clue how late I'll have to stay out with him."

"Alright, my dear. Just drive carefully, especially coming home."

"I will, Gran. Good night."

"Good night, Sookie."

As I drove past Bill's house, I was reminded I was going to have to tell him about the engagement soon, and I was going to need a really good story. I grimaced. Just another item I needed to talk to Eric about. We'd have to have the same story, or Bill would never buy it. It was going to be hard enough to lie to him as it was, but I knew I had no choice. I trusted Bill, but the alliance was too important to risk telling anyone not directly connected to it.

Thinking about it as I drove, I decided our cover story could work for Bill, too. I would tell him that Eric came to me and offered me his protection, if I would agree to work for him. Perhaps if I explained to Bill that I expected Eric would eventually find a way to force me to work for him, he would understand my decision to concede gracefully to Eric's request and thus reap the benefits of the sheriff's protection. I could say that I felt it was only a matter of time before other Supes found out about my gift, and at least this way I could remain close to my home, instead of risking being forcefully taken away to some unknown location. Bill thought I was just a weak human, so he might buy that story easily enough. I'd run it by Eric first, and then tell Bill the following night.

The forty-five minute drive went by quickly. Before I knew it, I was at Fangtasia. I got out of the car and walked towards the front door. There was a short line, and I was glad I still had fifteen minutes before Eric expected me. I hoped I could get through the line in that amount of time. Just as I was about to step into line, Pam called me over to her.

"Sookie, you never have to stand in any line here. You are Eric's fiancée; it is beneath you."

"Um, okay. I didn't know."

"Well, now you do," Pam replied back to me and turned to head inside. She grabbed a waitress on her way past the bar, telling her to cover for her at the front door.

I quickly followed Pam, and she led me towards the back and into an office. Eric was sitting behind the desk in the office, and rose to greet me when we walked in, kissing me on the cheek. I had thought vampires were very 'hands-off,' but Eric was bordering on touchy-feely. I didn't understand it.

He took my hand and led me to his couch to sit down, dismissing Pam as he did so.

Once we were seated, he said, "Sookie, thank you for coming here tonight. It pleases me that you are wearing the ring. I trust it is to your satisfaction?"

"You're welcome. And yes, I told you last night that it is a beautiful ring. I'm sorry for not putting it on when you gave it to me. You were very thoughtful to get it, and I was rude. But thank you for understanding that I was a bit overwhelmed. I'm feeling more myself tonight."

"Do not worry about it. I am glad you are feeling better about the alliance. Now, on to the reason I asked you to come tonight; I will be announcing our engagement, but I also need your assistance on a certain matter. I seem to have a thief among my employees. Over 60,000 dollars has been stolen from the bar's profits, and I wish to uncover who it is. There will be a staff meeting after the bar closes at 2 A.M., but I wanted you here early to listen into the thoughts of the human staff before the meeting. Obviously, I would like for you to listen in at the meeting as well. I will also be announcing our engagement to the staff so that they know they are to serve you as they would serve me."

"Oh. Okay. Are you certain it's a human who is stealing from you?" I asked.

"No, I am not. But your skills should be able to eliminate that possibility if it is a vampire. However, Niall informed me that you could tell if a human had been glamoured and could even detect the original memories if it was poorly done. Can you not do this? It would be useful in the event a vampire is using a human to steal my money."

"Yes, I can. But to break through a glamour I have to be one-on-one with the person and focus only on that individual. It also helps if I can touch the person because it makes the thoughts stronger."

"Very well. If you suspect that a glamoured human may be part of this, inform me, and I will ensure that you are able to interview the staff member personally."

"Okay," I replied. I knew I needed to talk to Eric about some things but I wasn't sure of the timing. I didn't want to have to do it at all, but I knew if I waited until later I would be tired after reading his human staff's thoughts all night. If I wanted a clear head, I was going to need to do it earlier, not later in the evening.

I took a deep breath and asked, "Eric, before we go out there, can we talk about a few things?"

"Certainly. What would you care to discuss?" He gave me an encouraging smile.

"For starters, I'm concerned about Bill. You seem to know more about him than I do; will he believe our story?"

"He has no choice in this matter. I am his Sheriff; he cannot question me or the actions I take to secure my assets."

"That's fine for you, but he can still question me."

Eric got very serious, and slightly scary, as he said, "You are not to reveal anything about the alliance, is that clear?"

"Whoa, settle down. I wasn't planning on it. But I don't know if he will believe you or me. I've spent the past week telling him I wasn't attracted to you, and I could handle myself if you came to take me."

"Tell him you have changed your mind. I am very attractive, am I not?" Eric said with a leer.

"Uh, well…Um." Clearly he didn't need me to tell him how gorgeous he was; agreeing would only further expand his ego. But how did I answer him politely without further inflating that already healthy vampire ego?

"Sookie, why are you suddenly so worried?" he asked.

"Wha…? How do…? Wait. You can already feel my emotions? How? Is it all of the time?" This wasn't good. I thought he wouldn't be able to sense my emotions until our bond was formed. I certainly couldn't feel his emotions yet.

"You have had my blood," he replied. "And my ability to feel your emotions is still sporadic. For now, I can only sense your emotions when you are near."

"But I thought that wasn't supposed to happen until we bonded. I can't feel your emotions."

"And you won't be able to until our bond is formed. However, it is part of the magic of vampire blood that when a human has had even a drop, we are able to better sense her – to find her if need be, and feel her emotions if she is in danger. It is a useful survival tool, allowing us to keep track of humans with whom we regularly interact and feed upon."

"Well, that bit of information was certainly not shared with me before all of this," I replied in a huff.

"Now you know," he said, making it clear that part of the discussion was over. "Now answer my question, am I not attractive enough for you? Is it not possible that you would have considered joining with me for my protection?"

"Why are you asking me? You should be able to tell, right?" I asked sarcastically. I was still mad that he clearly had an advantage over me. It wasn't right that he was able to sense my emotions without me being able to do the same to him.

"Why are you being so stubborn? Yes, you do find me attractive, even if you are also extremely nervous and somewhat afraid in my presence."

Wow. He could certainly tell a lot about me. This was not fair; not at all.

"Okay, fine. So I tell Bill that you helped me to see the error of my ways, and how lucky I would be to be tied to you. You are so sexy and powerful. You can protect me, you are beautiful eye candy, and you can rock my world in between the sheets. Is that about right?" I responded dramatically.

A look that could only be described as amusement crossed his face, and he responded, "Yes. That sounds right to me."

Eric then got serious again as he continued, "But I will remind you that you still need to be cautious around Bill. I do not trust him. If you insist on being friends with him, be careful what you say to him."

"You said last night that you do not trust him, and you are worried because he is connected to the queen of Louisiana. Do you know anything specific?" I was annoyed that he was going on about this again, but I wasn't so blind as to ignore Bill's connection to Sophie-Anne. I needed to know what Eric knew, if I was going to continue to try to be friends with Bill. Of course, that could all go out the window when he found out that I had ignored his advice, again, and was now engaged to Eric.

Eric stared at me for a minute, and I guessed he was trying to decide what to tell me, if anything. Finally, he responded, "I do not know much yet, but I believe he is up to something. He arrived the same evening Niall informed me of your agreement to the marriage. He is also connected with Sophie-Anne, who has acknowledged that Bill is working on a special project for her. On top of that, he was very adamant about keeping you as his when I spoke to him about you."

"Oh." It was a shock to know that Bill was that tied to the queen, but Eric was technically tied to her as well. Bill's project could be anything. But Eric's information did tell me I would probably never be able to tell Bill about the alliance. It made it even more imperative that I was convincing about the reasons for my engagement to Eric.

"In light of that, I also think it would be wise for you to be careful when you discuss the alliance. No discussing it after dark in your home. It is too much of a risk that Bill could overhear something."

"Um, okay. I hadn't thought of that. I suppose you're right. And I promise to be careful about what I say around Bill. I'm not going to stop being his friend though, Eric."

"Of course I am right," Eric responded smugly. I refrained from rolling my eyes at him. "Now that I've settled that issue, is there anything else you wished to discuss with me?"

"Um," I hesitated, giving myself time to think. Did I want to bring up fidelity? If I did, I had to be ready to feed him. Was I ready? Doubtful. But I needed to get this out of the way. "Yes, I want to talk to you about feeding," I rattled off quickly before I could change my mind.

Eric looked shocked for about a second, and then he leered at me as he replied, "What about feeding, Sookie?"

"Well, I wanted to know if the biting will always hurt me. And, is it possible for you to take my blood without expecting to have sex with me?"

"Yes, it is possible to feed without having sex, although sex does make the experience more pleasurable for both parties. As for my bite hurting, most find it to be a pleasurable pain, but perhaps it would be uncomfortable for you at first. I will do my best to make it as painless as possible whenever you tell me that you are ready."

"Okay. Well, I don't know that I'll ever be ready, but I might as well get it over with it if I'm ever to going to get used to you doing it."

"Are you sure? If you want, we can wait. I have other sources for blood."

"I'm sure. And about those other sources for blood, and sex for that matter…that stops now."

"Excuse me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm willing to let you feed from me, but I won't let you if you are feeding from others or having sex with other women. I know that you are old enough that you need very little blood, and you can do just fine on my blood alone, supplemented by the occasional synthetic blood drink. And I'm certain that you can go a year without having sex. It would be incredibly disrespectful of your fiancée for you to feed from and have sex with other women while you are engaged. I won't be treated that way, and I refuse to look like a star-struck fangbanger who looks the other way just so that I can be with you. Especially as that is definitely not the case here, Eric."

"Vampires are not known to be monogamous, Sookie. Others would not think less of you because I occasionally enjoyed the pleasures of different women or their blood. It is practically expected of me in my business; most women come to Fangtasia for the chance to be with me."

"Eric, others _would_ think less of me, at least the humans would. Other vampires probably won't think very highly of me either way. But that aside, _I_ would think less of me, and I would feel as though you are being disrespectful." I knew that argument alone would probably not suffice, so I decided to up the ante. "But if monogamy is not an issue for you, I suppose that would mean I would be able to have my own affairs on the side as well."

"You will not," Eric growled, looking very angry and once again a little scary. "I do not share. You are mine. You will not allow any others to feed from you. No other men or vampires will have the pleasure of your body."

"I may be yours by vampire standards but I am still my own. Either we are both monogamous, or we are both free to enjoy the company of others whenever we wish. There will be no double standards," I fired back. His sudden anger and high-handed attitude infuriated me. I wasn't sure why it had, as I had completely expected he would react that way, but I was angry none-the-less. I sat with my arms crossed and glared at him, waiting for his response.

He took a minute to regain his composure before replying, "It is clear you have put a lot of thought into this, and it is very important to you. If you are allowing me to feed from you, I suppose that I can attempt to be monogamous. However, as it currently stands, we have two weeks before you are available everyday. What do you propose we do until then?"

Stunned by my victory, I hesitated. "Err, well, I hadn't thought about that. How often do you need to feed? Every day or can you survive on the synthetic blood for a few days?"

"I need human blood daily, even if it is just a few sips."

"You can't get by on the manufactured stuff alone for a day or two?" I asked. I knew that no vampires could survive on just the bottled brand alone, but surely a few days wouldn't be much of a hardship, right?

"If absolutely necessary, yes, but human blood is more satisfying and nutritional for a vampire."

Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing if he was being truthful or not. So, apparently, I only had two choices - either find a way to see Eric daily or agree to let him feed from others for the next two weeks. After telling him he could only feed from me and demanding he not have sex with anyone else, I realized I was stuck with the first option.

"Well, okay," I began. "We'll just have to work out a system to see each other every day. Do you know where I live?" I was certain he did from what Bill had told me, but I didn't want to assume anything.

"Yes. You live in Bon Temps, across the cemetery from Compton."

"Yeah. So, is there any way that you could come to see me? Not all the time; I can drive up here some nights. But could you come to Bon Temps on nights when I work late?"

"You have the fae ability to quickly transport yourself anywhere, do you not, Sookie? I understand that you may not want to make the drive so late at night, but could you not simply transport yourself to my home or to my office?"

"I do have the ability, but since I'm not fully fae, it wears me out more than full faeries. If I'm already tired from working late that's not going to work so well. Can't you just drive to Bon Temps? It would only be on nights that I work late."

"I suppose that could be arranged. But you would come to Fangtasia on the other nights, correct?"

"Yes. When I work the lunch or dinner shift or have the day off, I'll come up here. When I work the evening shift, you'll come to Bon Temps. I'll have to let my Gran know, but it's not like you'd be staying around after you take my blood."

"What if I wanted to stay around?" Eric asked, surprising me.

"What? Why would you do that?"

"Well, it would be rude to eat and run, would it not? Plus, it is a long drive to make for only the brief act of taking blood from you."

"What would we do?" I asked suspiciously. I seriously had no clue what he was getting at or why he would stay. I could understand the driving part, but there wasn't much to do in Bon Temps after Merlotte's closed.

"We could talk. I could meet your grandmother."

"Talk? You'd want to just talk?"

"Yes. Why not? Is it so strange I would like to know more about the woman I will be with for perhaps hundreds of years?"

"No, I guess not," I replied slowly. I didn't really see Eric as a chatty sort of vampire, but I didn't know a lot about him either. "So, it's settled. I will come here when I get off by eight. You will come to Bon Temps when I work later than that. I work the dinner shift tomorrow, but I'm off at eight, so I will come up here. I'll bring my work schedule for the rest of the week with me so we can coordinate our driving plans."

"Very well; I look forward to it," Eric replied in a smooth voice. "Are there any other subjects you wish to discuss?"

"Not really. But where are we going to go, to do…um…you know…for you to feed? It's banned at the bar."

"It is, and while I have never fed from a human here before, it is my bar. It will be quick, just a few sips, so we could do it here in my office. No one will interrupt us. But if it would make you more comfortable, I also have a hotel room nearby."

"You keep a hotel room? What for…oh. Nevermind." It had taken me a second to catch his meaning. When I understood, I wasn't sure how I felt about the whole thing. I finally decided it was better to take the donors off the premises than doing those things at the bar and risk getting caught.

"Yes. I have a hotel room nearby. It has been most convenient, and I am able to keep the location of my resting place as secure as possible."

"I suppose that makes sense. So when do you want to do this, now or later?" I asked.

"We will go to the hotel later, after the meeting. That way, if you are too tired from the evening and wish to rest, you may stay in the room."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." I was a bit surprised. Bill had told me Eric only looked out for himself. Now the supposedly ruthless Sheriff was offering me a place to stay for the night?

"Sookie, why do you seem surprised? I am not an inconsiderate man."

"I don't know. I guess I really just don't know you very well, sorry."

"Please do not judge me based on what Bill has told you. I know that he has said more about me than what you have admitted to me. Keep in mind that he very much wants you for himself. He is also up to something. I'm almost certain that it has something to do with you."

"Why do you think it has to do with me? Is it so strange that he would just be interested in being my friend?" I was more than a little insulted by what he was suggesting.

"Vampires do not often associate with humans outside of satisfying our need for blood and sex, so yes. Although I do believe that he wants both of those things from you, so perhaps it is not so strange. But his insistence on claiming you, as well as offering you his blood, does make him suspect when it comes to you."

"Oh…Wait. How do you know that he offered me blood?" I asked. I hadn't told anyone Bill had done that.

"I have my ways. I make sure to stay informed when my interests are involved."

"You've been spying on me? That's such an invasion of privacy!"

"Calm down, woman. Once I figured out who you were, I needed to ascertain the nature of your relationship with Bill, especially after you confirmed his claim on you that night in my bar. Besides, you are mine. It is well within my rights to watch over you."

"It is _not_ within your rights to invade my privacy. It's not like you told me you or anyone else would be observing me. You were blatantly spying on me!"

"So, Sookie, I should have told you that I was around and was going to be watching over you?"

"Yes. At least I would've known."

"Hmmm. And what would you have said had I made my presence known? You did not know that I was your betrothed at that point in time. Should I have informed you of that as well? I do not think you would have reacted very well to that claim or even believed me. So tell me, Sookie, how should I have proceeded? You had informed me you were Bill's, but I knew you were already mine. Was I that wrong to try to understand the reasons you lied to me when you claimed you were Bill's?"

I opened my mouth to speak several times, but no words came. He had me. He was right. I would not have believed anything he said. Actually, I probably would have panicked if he told me he knew of the alliance, and I might have responded in a way I would later have regretted.

Finally, I replied, "Fine. I probably would have been really freaked out. But, just so you know, I still do not appreciate being spied on. It shows a lack of trust in me."

"I will trust you when you have earned it. That is how I have managed to remain alive for over 1,000 years. You may trust people blindly, but that is not a very wise decision my dear. It can get you get hurt or even killed. Now, are we finished? We should get out to the bar area so that you have plenty of time to read my employees for me."

"Yes, I guess we are. For now, anyways."

Eric stood up and held out his hand to me to help me up as well. He placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me out to his bar so I could begin reading his untrustworthy minions. He really was quite touchy-feely for a vampire.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: *peeks in sheepishly* Hi there. So, um, obviously I need to apologize to you for once again not getting this posted on Friday. I am sorry about that. This chapter wasn't even finished until Saturday morning. You can blame Eric, but unfortunately, he doesn't tend to care what people think about him. Thus, why I have to apologize for him.

I should be getting back on track though. I've already gotten over 2000 words written for Chapter 9 and the only reason I stopped was to edit this beast. So yeah, I think we'll be back on track this week.

Many thanks to scattered21 for her beta skills. But I was never taught to share, so all remaining mistakes are mine; she can't have them.

Disclaimer: CH owns the gang, I'm just playing with their lives. Muhahaha!

* * *

EPOV

After completing our little negotiation session, Sookie and I left my office to return to the bar area. She would need to sit among my human employees to begin reading their thoughts. Looking around, I chose a booth in the corner for us. I considered it to be a much safer option than a table in the center because I didn't know how well she could school her expressions. Only Pam knew of Sookie's telepathy, and I intended to keep it that way. Sookie's efforts in seeking out my thief would be more likely to succeed if no one else knew of Sookie's telepathy.

I slid in beside Sookie after she was seated, draping my arm across the back of the booth. This would not only offer her protection but I was hoping it would also encourage her to relax into me. I could sense that she was still nervous and slightly fearful in my presence. It was not surprising. From what I knew of Sookie, she had been raised by Niall as much as she had been by her grandmother. As a faerie, Niall would have taught her to be cautious of vampires. Her ingrained wariness and fear of my kind could not be eliminated overnight, even by me.

I did wonder, however, why she seemed to be so trusting of Bill. I could only assume it had to do with the fact that he had once lived in Bon Temps and knew her ancestors. He had also taken care to associate with her grandmother. That was another reason I suggested I meet the older woman. Sookie seemed to listen to her advice. I suspected that if I could charm her grandmother, Sookie would warm to me as well. Finally, I was hoping that visiting with my fiancée in her home would help Sookie become more comfortable in my presence.

Ginger came over to get our drink orders shortly after we were seated. When she left, Sookie asked, "So, where's the throne tonight?"

"Throne?"

"Yeah. You had a throne sitting on the stage the last time I was here."

I laughed before answering her. "You may blame Pam for that. She can be an insolent Child. After your great-grandfather confirmed your acceptance, I explained the details of our situation and agreement with her. She then decided a future king needed a throne. It was up for several nights before I was finally able to convince Pam to take it down."

"So you don't normally sit in a throne?"

I scoffed before saying, "No. While Pam is convinced my mere presence is good for business here, it does not require me to be on display in quite that fashion."

"Oh, okay. So Pam is your Child?"

"Yes. I turned her over 200 years ago. She has served me well, despite her affinity for teasing me. She is lucky I enjoy her humor, or I would have to punish her often."

Ginger arrived with our drinks then and quickly shuffled off after I dismissed her.

"So, Sookie, what do you need from me so you can work?" I asked.

"Nothing, really, although it will be easier if we aren't talking. It's a little difficult to try to carry on a conversation while I'm listening to other's thoughts."

"Very well. I will remain silent."

Settling back into the booth's cushion, I alternated between scanning the crowd and watching Sookie. I could feel a range of emotions coming from her, and I assumed that it was in response to the various thoughts she was hearing. My earlier uncertainty about her abilities was answered as I observed she was able to school her features well as she listened to those around us.

As I sat in silence, I thought back to our earlier conversation in my office.

I was surprised that she had brought up feeding already. After her timidity with the subject the night before, I expected I would have to be the one to start that conversation. Her boldness from the last time she was at my bar was once again being displayed. However, it was also clear that the trait would be annoying as often as it was enjoyable.

I was pleased she wasn't hesitant to bring up topics that made her nervous. Less pleasing was the evidence that she was already willing to disobey me. However, most of what she had requested had been expected, so for the immediate future, I could afford to allow her to think she could negotiate for what she wanted when it came to me.

While I was displeased she insisted on remaining friends with Compton, it could prove to be an advantage by allowing me to discover what he was planning. I could not see much harm in the situation. For the next two weeks, she would be in my presence for at least a portion of every evening, and then she would be moving into my house. I knew she would have very little time to build a friendship with Compton, although she did not yet seem to realize this about her changing circumstances.

More upsetting was her demand for me to refrain from the pleasures of other women. Giving up the blood of others would not be a concern as long as I had Sookie's delectable blood on a daily basis. However, giving up sex would be more challenging. There were plenty of times that I had gone months or even years without sex, but since vampires had come out publicly I had become accustomed to frequently enjoying the pleasures of different women.

While I had anticipated her request, I had not expected it quite so soon, nor had I expected it to be in the form of an ultimatum. I was furious at the idea of her taking another lover to her bed, she was _mine _and mine alone. Vampires do not share. Beyond that, I would not be made to look like a fool who could not control his woman. Fortunately, I had already decided I would attempt to appease her by trying to stay monogamous, so I agreed to her request. If it became too difficult, I would simply have to glamour the experience out of the fangbanger's mind.

Overall, I was pleased with the direction my arrangement with Sookie seemed to be headed. She had arrived tonight wearing the engagement ring I had given her, indicating she was beginning to accept me. She had also agreed to be my sole source of blood immediately. While I had not exactly lied to her, the reality was that I could easily go several days without taking blood, human or synthetic. It was not necessarily pleasant, but it was possible. However, I could not pass up the opportunity to get Sookie into my presence on a daily basis, furthering my plan to make her more relaxed around me.

I was realizing that Sookie would be most responsive to the gentlest of manipulations. Convincing her that I required her blood daily, despite our having to drive between Bon Temps and Shreveport daily, sent the message that her blood was mine, and she was to make it available to me as needed. I was pleased that she had so readily agreed to come to Shreveport as often as possible. It was likely a result of the good manners instilled in her by her grandmother, but it was pleasing to me nonetheless.

My thoughts were put on hold when I heard Sookie inhale sharply. "Sookie, what is the matter?" I asked, both concerned and on the alert for danger.

"Bill just walked in. I didn't expect to see him here, although he's a vamp so I guess it makes sense. But I hoped to have a little more time before I had to tell him about our engagement."

"Ah. Well, let us look at this as a fortunate turn of events. At least informing him will be over with sooner, yes?"

"I guess so," she replied with little confidence in her voice.

"Stay here. I will send Pam over to keep you company. You two need to begin planning our engagement party."

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"What is the matter? Are you afraid to be in my bar without me? Or are you afraid of Pam? Do not worry. She will not bite you, even if you want her to," I replied with a wink.

"No, it's not that, Eric. I just assumed I would be the one to tell Bill. He is my friend."

"Ah. 'Friend' only because of your very limited association with him, correct?"

"Well, yes."

"It is better that I am the one to inform him in this case."

"Okay," she sighed. I could read from her emotions she was annoyed and perhaps wanted to argue with me. Surprisingly, she held her tongue. Perhaps she knew when to challenge me and when to submit to my decisions after all.

I rose from the booth and made my way to Bill and Pam. I instructed her to sit with Sookie while I spoke with Bill and then walked to my office, knowing Bill would follow me. Once we were inside, I began, "Compton, thank you for coming to see me this evening."

"You are welcome, Eric, but it is not as though I had much choice. I assume this has to do with Sookie?"

"Yes, it does. I have decided she will be better protected under my care. We are engaged so that no others will doubt my claim on her or try to harm her or abduct her from my area. Our engagement will be announced in two weeks time," I informed Compton.

"Engaged? You? Is that really necessary? Vampire-Human marriages aren't even legalized yet. And how likely is a human engagement to prevent another vampire from taking her?" he inquired.

"Not that it is any of your concern, but in this case I find it quite necessary. Your interest in Sookie has alerted me to the fact that other vampires will most likely be very interested in her as well, not just for her telepathy but also for her beauty and her blood. I also plan on making sure Vampire-Human marriages are legalized, by whatever means necessary, as well as publicly pledging her to me at the summit in November."

"Eric, are you also planning on moving her to Shreveport? She will not wish to leave her grandmother behind. And since when do you bother with keeping humans in your care?"

"Why do you continue to question me, Compton? I am your Sheriff. Or do you need to be reminded of that fact?"

"No, Eric. You are correct. If Sookie prefers to be with you, then so be it," he replied. It did not escape my notice that he neither apologized for his insubordination nor agree to submit to _my_ will. It was becoming clear that he believed his association with the queen entitled him to more freedom than he actually had with me. This was sure to become a problem that I would have to address, but I could push off finding the proper punishment for Bill until later. Fortunately, in this instance, his foolish hope that Sookie might tell him she wished to be his instead of mine was entirely delusional.

"Good. And Sookie does prefer it, but if you wish to ask her yourself, please do. Shall we head back out to the bar so that you can speak to my fiancée yourself?"

"No, that will not be necessary. I have some things I must take care of tonight. I'll speak with Sookie another time."

"If you wish, but you will do well to remember that Sookie now belongs to me. If I ever find out that you have made any untoward advances, you will be punished, immediately."

"That will not be necessary Eric. I have already told you I will respect Sookie's wishes."

"But clearly not mine." It was not a question. By consistently stating that he was seeking Sookie's affirmation of our engagement, he was making it clear that he did not respect my authority over either of them.

"Are they not one-in-the-same in this case? I simply wish to make sure you have not forced her into something she does not want. If she has indeed entered into this willingly, I do not understand the problem."

"Then clearly you are a fool. The problem lies in your blatant ignorance and lack of respect for my position and authority. It seems you believe that your favor with the queen grants you some clemency when it comes to my authority. However, you have not earned any favor with me. Learn your place, Compton. If you do not, you will either be punished or banished, perhaps both if I feel so inclined. As your Sheriff, this is your final warning. Am I clear?" I was at the end of my tolerance with Compton's insolence. I was not an unfair Sheriff, but I could no longer let his defiance pass without consequence.

"Extremely."

"Good. Now, you are free to leave if you wish. I must return to my fiancée."

We headed back out to the bar, and Bill left immediately. As I made my way over to Sookie, I noticed that Pam was actually smiling. It was really more of an infinitesimal smirk, but considering she usually looked as though she were bored out of her mind, unless she was teasing me, I was intrigued.

"Ladies," I said as I slipped into the booth beside Sookie, "may I inquire as to what is so amusing?"

"Our darling Sookie seems to be almost as good for business as you are," Pam informed me.

"Really? And how is it _our darling Sookie_ is so good for business?"

"Well, for starters, she has been hit on three times just in the short time you have been gone. She has also had two drinks bought for her."

"Clearly these men are imbeciles with a death wish. Can they not see the ring on her finger?"

"Hey, I'm sitting right here. I'd appreciate it if you two didn't talk about me as though I were invisible," Sookie responded.

"That was not my intention, Sookie," I informed her.

"Nor mine. And, yes, they do see the ring. Perhaps they view it as a challenge? Although it's more likely they just want a one night stand and don't even care about the ring," Pam said with a shrug.

"Well, it seems I will not be able to leave you alone in my own bar, Sookie. Unfortunately, it would be bad for business for me to have to set straight each and every male vying for your attentions."

Sookie rolled her eyes at me before responding, "It's not like you have anything to worry about, Eric. I'm stuck with you whether I like it or not."

"True. But I would prefer it if you _liked_ being stuck with me. Perhaps soon you will see I'm not as horrible as you've been led to believe. But moving on, I trust you both have begun planning our engagement party?"

"Oh yes!" Pam exclaimed. "It will be great. We've decided on having the party at the Hilton; they have the largest selection of vampire safe rooms and understand your requirements from your past bookings. We will settle more details tomorrow night when Sookie comes back. Isn't that right, dear?" Pam asked, turning her attention back to Sookie.

"Yes. Pam seems to have quite a knack for planning parties, so you should be pleased with how it turns out."

"Very good. But make sure that you are satisfied with the party as well, Sookie. Despite the circumstances, I would like for you to enjoy our event." Sookie merely nodded.

Pam and I discussed some business concerns for awhile and then she left us alone in the booth, most likely to find her meal for the evening. Sookie and I occasionally spoke of trivial things, but mostly we remained quiet so she could listen to the humans' thoughts.

Shortly after midnight Sookie let out a sigh and slumped against the back of the booth. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just need to take a break. All of the thoughts are beginning to give me a headache. Would you mind if I rested in your office for a few minutes? It would help block out the thoughts to get some distance from everyone."

"Of course," I replied, standing up and extending my hand to assist Sookie from the booth. I did not let her hand go once she was up and, surprisingly, she did not attempt to remove her hand from my grasp. This was progress.

Once we entered my office, Sookie headed straight for the couch and sat down. "Would you prefer to be alone?" I asked. I wanted her to be more rested for the meeting later, and wasn't certain she could relax enough in my presence to do so.

"No, actually, um, would you mind sitting with me? Vampires are a void to me and I could use that quietness right now."

"As you wish." I sat down on the couch next to her, and surprisingly she rested her head against my shoulder. I was pleased by this latest sign of her growing acceptance of me. Although, after what she had told me earlier regarding touch making it easier to read a human's thoughts, it was entirely possible that she was so willing to touch me because she needed the silence my vampire mind could afford her. It would also explain why she had avoided touching me while we were sitting out in the bar earlier. Either way, I was satisfied with what I took to be progress.

A few minutes passed before I heard her breathing soften and even out. I moved slightly to check on her and saw she had fallen asleep. I rose from the couch as gently as I could, not wanting to jostle her, and laid her down. I was not used to having humans sleeping in my office, so I had no blanket for her, but I made a mental note to bring an extra one from my house. Doing so would show my consideration for her needs and her comfort.

I went over to my desk and logged into my computer. There were several emails that needed a response. Once that was complete I began sorting through other paperwork for both the bar and my area.

Shortly before closing, I decided to awaken Sookie to give her time to take care of any needs she may have before the meeting. She looked very peaceful sleeping, and I regretted having to wake her, but I had no choice. I spoke softly and shook her gently to rouse her.

"What time is it?" she asked, yawning.

"It is 1:45 A.M."

"Oh goodness! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep, let alone sleep for so long," she said, shooting up to a sitting position.

"Do not worry about it. You seemed to need the rest. I would rather have you rested and performing your best at the meeting than exhausted after trying to read humans' thoughts for the entire night."

"Thank you. Um, can you show me the bathroom?"

"Certainly."

Once I had directed Sookie to the employees' restroom, I made my way out to the bar. I wanted to be sure that closing went as smoothly as possible so we could get the meeting underway. Everything went as planned, and we were ready to begin the meeting by 2:30 A.M.

I started by introducing Sookie.

"I would like you to welcome Sookie Stackhouse, my fiancée." I heard a few gasps, but it was nothing unexpected. "You will see her here at least several nights every week. She is to be treated with respect at all times and served as you would serve me. If at any time this does not happen, you will be handed your final paycheck. If you are disrespectful to her, the consequences will be significantly worse based on the offense."

I felt a jolt of surprise from Sookie, followed by irritation, but fortunately she remained silent. Sookie obviously had a lot to learn about my world if she was opposed to violence and punishment. Her reaction surprised me. I knew faeries were just as capable of violent behavior as vampires, but clearly Niall had sheltered her from that aspect of their reality. Perhaps he always assumed she would remain in the human realm.

On second thought, Niall deciding to shelter her from violence seemed unlikely. Even with the little I had learned of Sookie's grandmother over the past week, I decided her female relative was the likely reason Sookie had remained innocent of the violence inherent in her fae relatives.

I continued the meeting, reminding my employees of the rules I had set for the bar, including no taking of blood on the premises. Sasha, although not an employee, had been the vampire caught feeding from a bar patron in one of the bathrooms last week when the raid occurred. Therefore, I felt it was once again necessary to remind all vampires in my employ of my rule against feeding on the premises so that they would not be tempted to repeat her mistake. I also reminded them they were to restrain and bring any vampire to me if they ever found this happening.

Once that issue was settled, I moved on to the real reason for the meeting – my thief. I reminded my employees that stealing from a vampire was not only an unwise and risky decision, but it incurred painful consequences. I informed them that anyone coming forward with information would be rewarded and anyone who wished to admit to what he or she had done had this one opportunity to receive immunity for his or her actions. No one came forward immediately, so I decided to give them time to consider their options while I privately discussed the matter with Sookie. I motioned for her to come with me. Before I left I told the employees, "You have ten minutes to change your mind and come to my office with information or a confession. After the ten minute window, all punishments meted out will be severe. If you leave for any reason before I return, I will assume you are the guilty one, and exact punishment swiftly."

I informed Pam and Long Shadow to stand guard and then led Sookie back to my office. I shut the door and turned to her, saying, "Have you discovered anything?"

"Yes and no."

"Please explain."

"First, what will be done with any humans involved? I had assumed you would turn them over to the police, but you were speaking about punishments in there."

"Sookie, this is the vampire way of things. There are always consequences for one's actions. Anyone caught defying me or stealing from me needs to be punished so others will not think they can do the same thing."

"I'll make a deal with you."

"You are not exactly in a position to make a deal. You are stuck with me and using your telepathy is part of the contract," I reminded her. Truthfully, she had very little grounds for negotiation on this matter.

"That's true, but I don't always have to tell you everything I overhear. You'll never know the difference."

I growled at her insolence, and she quickly backed away from me. I could both feel and smell her fear. Just when she begins to warm up to me she ends up saying something that angers me, possibly destroying any progress we've made. How infuriating! If she was so frightened of me, why was she being so stubborn and standing up to me on this issue? I took a minute to calm myself before asking, "Very well. This is clearly something that is important to you. What are you proposing?"

"I want you to turn in any humans involved with this, or future matters, over to the police for justice. I understand that as a vampire you have your own rules, so you may handle any vampires as you see fit. You may think that scaring humans is going to get you what you want, but it won't. Trust me. They will respect you more and be more inclined to follow _your_ laws if they see that you are making the effort to follow _their_ laws, at least when it comes to your dealings with humans." She paused for a minute before continuing, "I would respect you more as well. I won't worry about turning humans over to you if I know that they aren't being tortured."

"Your justice system is lacking. It is too lenient in some cases and completely ignorant in others."

"That may be so, but aren't you trying to operate in the human world? You aren't going to get very far if you are torturing humans. You are at risk for being exposed once you let them go. And if you glamour them, the torture session was for no other purpose but your own amusement because they won't remember the lesson. Besides, if you are eventually just going to glamour them, you could glamour the lesson into them or make them afraid to even come near you. There are plenty of other options for humans besides the sort of punishments you are probably considering."

I thought over her words. She was surprisingly shrewd on some issues. Perhaps I was wrong about Niall sheltering her from violence. She certainly didn't exhibit much upset when discussing it. In that case, perhaps her earlier reaction was based on my exacting punishment in her honor or the possibility that it would be meted out to humans as well as vampires. For a woman who was raised by a faerie prince, she certainly had a deeply-rooted fondness for humans.

However, she had managed to make some quality arguments against my punishing humans in accordance with vampire law. I supposed, if it meant her compliance and full-disclosure when it came to the use of her telepathy, I could agree to yet another of her terms.

"Very well. You have made some good points. I will turn humans over to your human authorities when it is applicable. Now, what did you find out?"

"Thank you," she sighed. "I wasn't able to find out much. Ginger seemed very frightened when you began talking about the thief, but I didn't get the impression that she was the one stealing the money. It is more likely she knows who is doing it, but she can't visualize him or her or think of the name."

"Hmmm. Then it seems it _is_ a vampire stealing from me. Would you be able to break through the glamour if you met with Ginger?"

"I don't know. I can certainly try."

"Good. Stay here. I will retrieve Ginger."

"But you still have a few more minutes on your time limit. Someone else may know something and come forward." I looked at my watch to discover that she was correct.

"I doubt that will happen, but you are correct about the time. How do you propose we spend these next few minutes?" I asked, stepping closer to her.

"Um, probably not how you're thinking," she replied as she backed away from me, trying to sound forceful but failing.

I continued to stalk towards her and eventually she backed into my desk. _Perfect._ I could tell that she was nervous, but I also sensed that she was slightly aroused. _Even more perfect._ I stopped right in front of her, placing my hands on the desk on either side of her hips. I leaned down, skimming my nose along her collarbone and up her neck, inhaling the scent of my little fae. I could feel and smell her blood racing through her veins. I could hear her heartbeat increase from both her nervousness and arousal. This would be fun.

She tried to speak but never got beyond a few words; I had rendered her speechless. The thought made me smile even more.

I continued tracing a path down her neck, across her collarbone, and up the other side of her neck. My nose was the only part of my body that ever touched her. After a couple of passes along her neck and collarbone, inhaling her scent the entire time, I glanced at the clock on my desktop and saw that the requisite ten minutes had passed.

I stood back up to my full height and turned around, saying, "Well, that was a pleasant way to spend a few minutes, don't you think? Stay here. I will be back with Ginger in a minute." I could sense surprise and then confusion coming from her, followed by the slightest hint of disappointment. _Interesting._ I laughed as I exited the office, which earned me a flash of annoyance from Sookie. Oh yes. She was going to be a lot of fun.

When I got to the bar I glanced at Pam; she lifted an eyebrow in inquiry. She was curious as to the source of my amusement, especially considering the more sobering subject at hand. She would just have to wonder.

I called Ginger over to me and led her back to my office. It was easy to tell that she was afraid as it was evident on her face, even if I wasn't a vampire and could also smell her fear.

We entered the office and Sookie, observing Ginger's fear from either her thoughts or her expression, walked over to greet her and led her to the couch.

"Hi, Ginger. You don't have to be afraid. I'm just going to ask you a few questions, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Ginger asked, glancing over at me.

"Positive. Eric isn't going to hurt you, I promise," Sookie responded, soothing Ginger with her words. She seemed to know exactly what to say to calm Ginger, and I assumed that it was from listening in on her thoughts.

Sookie spent the next five minutes asking Ginger the same basic set of questions, slightly modifying her wording each time. She finally let out a sigh and, turning to look at me, explained, "The glamour is a good one, the vampire must be fairly powerful. I can't get through it. But it is someone she's very fond of and he's fed from her often. I just can't get a read on who it is." Addressing Ginger again, she asked, "Do you normally hang out with any other waitresses here?"

"Yes, a few."

"Who do you hang out with the most?"

"Belinda. But she doesn't know anything, I swear! Oh God, I don't want to get Belinda in trouble."

"No, no. It isn't that. It's okay, Ginger," Sookie said, calming Ginger again.

I took Ginger back out to the bar and retrieved Belinda. Once we were back in my office, I asked, "Who has Ginger been seeing?"

"Anyone that would have her," Belinda replied.

"Who from here?" Sookie asked, and then suddenly said, "No, don't say it."

Sookie walked over to my desk and began looking around. I assumed she was looking for a pen and a sheet of paper and retrieved those things for her. She looked back over at Belinda before writing "Long Shadow" on the slip of paper.

I growled in anger, startling both Sookie and Belinda. Long Shadow had gone into business with Pam and me when I first opened Fangtasia. His theft was nothing but pure and blatant greed, and I would not tolerate it. Calming myself first, I told Sookie to take Belinda back out to the bar and followed them. Stopping in front of the group, I motioned for Pam and Long Shadow to follow me back to my office.

It was possible that a vampire trying to listen would have been able to hear what had been said in my office. Clearly, Long Shadow had not been doing so, which meant he was either incredibly stupid or incredibly arrogant. He did not seem to even consider that he was a suspect. Fortunately, that lack of insight worked in my favor. Once we had arrived in my office, I pinned Long Shadow against the wall, my hand firmly around his throat. I told Pam to retrieve the silver handcuffs and chains from my desk.

"What is the meaning of this?" Long Shadow asked.

"Do you find me that naïve? You are the one that has been stealing profits from the bar," I growled.

"What are you talking about? I've done no such thing. You couldn't possibly have any proof."

"My proof is sufficient and not your concern. You should be more concerned about your undead life."

Pam helped me to bind Long Shadow before I instructed her to take him to my warehouse down by the river. She grinned, knowing exactly what to do with him; we had used that location many times for exacting punishments on those who had defied or betrayed me.

After Pam left with a securely bound Long Shadow, I returned to my waiting employees and dismissed everyone. Taking time to secure my business for the remainder of the night, I asked Sookie, "Are you sure you still want to give me your blood tonight?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Very well. Are you ready to leave? I will meet you at the Hilton. Pull up to the front, and I will have the valet take care of your car."

"Okay, and yes, I'm ready."

I walked Sookie out to her car, helped her into her vehicle, and then walked towards my Corvette.

I soon pulled up to the hotel and was not surprised to see that I had arrived before Sookie. I tended to drive faster than humans, as I had considerably quicker reflexes. She pulled up shortly after me, and I helped her from her car.

We headed towards the elevators, and I punched in the floor number for my suite. I could sense Sookie's nervousness and once we were in the suite I asked again, "Are you sure about this? You do not have to do this yet if you are not ready."

"No, no. It's fine. It's my first time, so I'm going to be nervous, right? Let's just do this. Hopefully it won't be as bad as I imagined."

"Very well. Would you care to rest first or have a drink? The meeting seems to have tired you."

"No, I'm fine. If we put it off any longer, I'll just become even more anxious about it. Where do you want to do this?"

"Anywhere you are comfortable. We can do it here in the living area, on the couch, or even the bed, if you wish."

"Oh! No, I meant, where do you want to bite me?"

"Ah. Well, I don't normally bite where others can see my fang marks, but I suspect you would not yet be willing for me to bite you in any of those areas," I replied with a wink, and Sookie blushed. "But since you are my fiancée it would not be inappropriate for my fang marks to show, so your neck will do for now. I will place some of my blood over the marks once I have fed. They will still be visible to other vampires, but humans will not be able to see them. Is this acceptable?

Instead of vocalizing her answer she just nodded. Truly, she looked scared to death.

I was already excited from the struggle with Long Shadow and was becoming more excited at the thought of Sookie's delicious blood. But if I moved too quickly, I'd only increase her fear of me and make her more nervous about giving me her blood. I reminded myself I was old enough to have control over my reactions and utilizing every bit of it, I made my way to her, wanting to give her plenty of warning. I placed one hand on her back, drawing her to me and the other under her chin, lifting it and angling her head to the side.

"As I said before, I will make this as painless as possible. I hope eventually you will come to enjoy this as much as I do," I whispered in her ear.

I skimmed my nose down the side of her neck. I knew she was attracted to me, and I was hoping to get her at least slightly aroused before I bit. Not only would it ease her nerves, but it would actually make my bite less painful. I placed several open mouthed kisses over the pulse point in her neck. She was still nervous, but I could now both feel and smell her arousal.

I let my fangs come down and then slipped them into her neck as gently as possible. I was unable to hold back the groan as the taste of her fae-laced blood washed over my tongue. She was marvelous, and she was mine.

* * *

Now for some announcements:

January 15th-18th will be the Vampire Author's portion of the Support Stacie Auction. The auction is a great event that benefits a member of the fanfiction community. Kyss Ericsson and I are putting a SVM/Twilight crossover up for bid. Head over to http : //www(dot)supportstacie(dot)com/ for more information and to auction.

The Cowboy Up Top 5 have finally been announced. Go to http:// www . fanfiction . net/u/2114441/ to read the stories and vote. You have until Thursday night to do so!

Attn: SVM readers and writers! SVM Teaser Mondays is still going strong! Get a sneak peak at what is coming up on your favorite fics! Any SVM writer can post a teaser! Subscribe to the thread here (remove spaces): http: // forum. fanfiction. net/ topic/ 55534/19191439/1/


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: A gigantic thank you to my new beta, evenflo78! She's awesome and rocks my face off! But I played with this after she sent it back to me, so all mistakes are still mine. (One of these days I will find a way to blame someone else. Hehe!)

Happy birthday to svmaddict! I was trying to get this up on Friday, which was her birthday, but well, you see how well that turned out. Happy bday anyways woman!

Before we get into this chapter, I want to remind you that bidding is open for the Support Stacie Vampire Author Auction. A ton of amazing author's have offered themselves up to write whatever story you can think of. To bid, go to http:// www .supportstacie. com /phpBB3 ?f= 16&sid= 97c6d3e1c4c6a3e d2fa468ebf882b5c6 (just remove the spaces) You have until Monday night, 9pm Central time, to bid.

Disclaimer: CH owns these guys; I'm just messing with the playbook a bit.

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SPOV

Eric's fangs had sunk into my neck, and he groaned. He wrapped his arms around me and began rubbing his hands up and down my back, getting a little lower each time. I was frozen. This was why I was worried about Eric drinking from me. I was afraid about doing anything sexual with him, but I couldn't deny that a small part of me was intrigued by the idea. The man was gorgeous. It was impossible to not get at least a little turned on in his presence.

Eventually, his hands lowered to my butt and he pulled my body flush against his. There was no doubt that he was aroused as well. The evidence was very firmly pressed against my stomach. I may have moaned a little at the feeling of his arms wrapped around me and his large hands squeezing my butt. He seemed to take that as a sign of my acceptance for him to continue.

He finished drinking from me, licking over the fang marks to close them, and began kissing his way back up my neck, across my jaw, and finally to my lips. It was a soft kiss at first and I was a little surprised. I assumed Eric would be a passionate kisser and lover, not that I really knew much about any of that. He slid his tongue along my bottom lip, and I parted my lips for him. His tongue entered my mouth just as slowly and softly as he had been kissing me before. It was definitely a more than pleasant kiss and I was getting more turned on by it and his wandering hands.

His hands had begun to slide up my back and towards my chest. He gently caressed both of my breasts and I moaned at the sensation. No one had ever touched me like this but it felt good.

Eric's mouth began to make its way back down my neck and his hands began unbuttoning my top. Even though I was nervous, I couldn't bring myself to stop him. Eric slipped my shirt from my body and began teasing the skin just above my bra line with his lips and tongue, while his fingertips drew light circles along the skin of my stomach and sides. He started kissing me again and reached behind me to undo the zipper on the back of my skirt. As it fell to the floor, he brought his hand down between my thighs, gliding across the increasingly wet fabric. He touched me gently and I began hearing music. Literally.

I stopped kissing Eric, trying to figure out where it was coming from. It wasn't the kind of music for kissing. It was rock music and it was completely distracting me. However, Eric ignored it and began working his way down my neck again. I tried to follow his lead by ignoring the music, and finally the song finished. Just as Eric was pulling the cup of my bra down I heard a man say, "Good morning Shreveport! It's 5 A.M., and I'm here to get you started on your day and get you into work on time!"

My eyes shot open, and I rolled over to turn the alarm off. It had all been a dream. Ugh! I slumped back into the mass of pillows while I got my bearings straight.

I was alone in Eric's hotel suite in Shreveport.

In reality, none of what I dreamed had happened. Well, except Eric feeding from me. And the groan. He had definitely groaned last night. Or this morning. Whenever. Apparently he liked the taste of my blood. But outside of that, he behaved as he said he would.

Eric had been very gentle when he bit me. I had tensed up at first, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The fact that he had been placing open mouth kisses along my neck may have distracted me a little as well. No one had ever kissed me there or like that. I had kissed a few boys in high school, but it was always a little awkward and never went very far.

Touching a person makes his thoughts come through more clearly, and it was difficult to maintain my shields when I was kissing and trying to fool around. Inevitably, the guy would think something that would disgust me, the mood would be gone, and there would be no more dates. Sometimes I would make that decision, and sometimes the decision would be made for me when he never called.

So it was no surprise that Eric's kisses on my neck got me more than a little worked up. The man was gorgeous, he exuded sex, and he was incredibly skilled with his mouth; it was a little difficult to not be the least bit aroused in his presence. But I was still thankful that he remained a gentleman and once he was done drinking from me he simply licked the puncture wounds to make sure they healed. He also bit his finger and rubbed a drop of his blood over them so that humans wouldn't be able to see the marks. I was thankful for that too, since I wasn't sure what the small town minds of Bon Temps would think about me walking around with fang marks on my neck, especially in light of the murders of Maudette and Dawn.

Once the puncture wounds were had healed, Eric took a step back. I assumed it was to give me space and make me less nervous.

After a minute or two, Eric spoke up. "Thank you, Sookie. I am glad that you are willing to do this, especially so soon."

"Um, you're welcome. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Thank you for being gentle and doing what you could so that it wasn't painful."

"My pleasure," Eric leered. The awkward moment was over. Or maybe I was the only one to feel a little awkward to begin with. "As I said before, you may stay here and rest if you wish."

"Thank you. I think I will. I'd like to be home before Gran wakes up so she doesn't worry about me, but it would be nice to rest for a bit."

"You are welcome. I can stay with you if you would like."

"No, it's fine. I'm sure you have stuff you need to do and all I'm going to do is take a short nap. I'll be okay by myself."

"Very well. I'll let you rest then. I will see you tomorrow night, yes?"

"Well, technically, it would be tonight, but yes. I'll be at Fangtasia around ten."

"Until then, Sookie," Eric responded. Then he dropped a kiss on my forehead and left.

Once the door was shut, I swung the safety latch over and headed towards the bedroom. I didn't want to sleep in my clothes, and since I hadn't planned on spending the night I didn't have an extra set, so I stripped out of them. I set the alarm clock for 5 A.M., crawled into bed, and then drifted off.

That led to me lying in bed, wondering what brought on such a crazy dream. Well, I guess I was pretty sure what actually brought the dream on. But the dream still surprised me.

Finally deciding that it was just a silly dream and meant nothing, I rolled out of bed. I made my way to the bathroom, thankful to see a new toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste in a basket on the sink. I debated a quick shower but then realized I would just be putting on dirty clothes and scrapped the idea. Plus, I wanted to get home before Gran woke up so she wouldn't worry.

After I dressed, I headed down to the lobby. I fished my valet ticket out of my purse and handed it to the attendant. A few minutes later I was on my way home.

Sunrise wasn't until shortly after 6 A.M., but I could see the morning colors beginning to show. It was beautiful. It made me wonder how often I would be seeing the sunrise in my future. I wasn't normally up early enough, but I'm sure my schedule would adjust dramatically once I was living with Eric, and definitely once we were married. The thought made me a little sad because I loved the sun so much, but maybe if I got to enjoy the beauty of the sunrise on a regular basis it wouldn't be so bad. Plus, it's not as if I would sleep for the entire day. No, I'd still get to enjoy my sun, even if I had to make time to do it. There was simply no way I was going to give that up.

I arrived home just after the sun had completely risen above the horizon.

I parked my car behind the house and went inside. I didn't have to be at work until three, so I fully planned on climbing straight into bed. Unfortunately, Gran was already awake and standing in the kitchen waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.

"Well, hello and good morning, young lady," Gran said in a flat voice. Was she upset that I had been out all night and was just getting home or that I hadn't let her know that I'd be out all night? Eric was my fiancé and a vampire so it was more likely the latter.

"Good morning, Gran. Sorry I didn't leave a note or anything, but by the time I knew I'd be out late, it was 3 A.M., and I didn't want to wake you up just tell you I wouldn't be home."

"Hmmm," Gran said as she fixed her cup of coffee. "I guess I better get used to it. You are an adult and in two weeks I won't even know when you are getting home anyways. I just worry about you dear."

I walked up to Gran and gave her a big hug. "I know Gran. If I know ahead of time, I'll tell you. I promise. Maybe I should think about getting a cell phone so I can keep in better touch, especially after I have to move to Shreveport."

"Well, it's done now, but I definitely like the idea of a phone so you can keep in touch once you move. What would you like for breakfast? You can tell me how last night went while we eat."

"Breakfast? Ugh. No thanks. I'm going to crawl into bed. Last night went well, but it was long, obviously. Eric and I got some things settled between us, he wanted me to find out who was stealing from him and I did, and I started planning the engagement party with Pam, Eric's Child. All in all, I guess it was a good night. Just long, and now I'm tired."

"My! You _were_ busy. Yes, go get some sleep. I guess it's a good thing that you have two weeks to adjust to all of this."

"I don't know about that. They might actually be harder since I will be living and working here and having to drive up to Shreveport almost every night, thanks to me and my big mouth."

"Oh? I thought you only had to go to Eric's bar twice a week? Doesn't he understand that you have a job here that you are committed to for the next two weeks?"

"I doubt he cares about what responsibilities I have as long as they don't affect what he needs from me. But this one is kind of my fault. I brought up the fidelity issue, and Claudine pointed out yesterday that if I was going to expect him to be monogamous, I'd have to be willing to be his sole source of blood. I thought he could get by with only needing blood every two or three days, but apparently he needs human blood everyday. So I'll be going to Shreveport unless I work late, in which case, he will come here. You don't mind if he comes here, do you, Gran? Oh goodness! I didn't even think to ask you to make sure it was ok. I'm so sorry."

"Calm down. It's fine dear. It will give me a chance to meet Eric. Certainly Niall knows him well enough, but I would like to meet the man my granddaughter is going to marry," Gran replied with a smile.

"Okay. Thanks Gran. I'm going to go back to bed now. Good night, or morning rather," I said. I heard Gran chuckle a bit as I was walking out of the kitchen.

I woke up shortly after 1 P.M. still feeling a little tired, but it wasn't anything a good cup of coffee couldn't fix. Unfortunately, the coffee was cold, so I made a fresh pot and then went to find something to eat while it brewed.

Once I had eaten and had a couple of cups of coffee, I changed into my favorite bikini and headed outside to get some sun.

As I lay on the lounge chair, I thought back over the night before.

I was a little annoyed that Eric thought he was the best person to tell Bill about our engagement. Granted, I didn't know Eric very well yet, but he seemed to be more annoyed with Bill than anything else, so I was fairly certain he wouldn't have given the information gently. Besides, despite what Eric thought, I was going to have to deal with Bill eventually. It would've been a lot more efficient to simply allow me to be the one to tell Bill. We had become friends; at least that's how I saw Bill. Even when he was warning me about Eric and wanting to claim me, it was only ever out of his concern for me.

I _really_ wanted to tell Eric that he actually didn't know what was best in this case, and I should be the one to tell Bill about our engagement. But Claudine had pointed out earlier that day how little I knew of vampire politics and that speaking against Eric in public would only embarrass him and possibly anger him, so I kept my mouth shut and hoped that he wouldn't ignore my wishes on a regular basis. We would have big problems if he did that.

I had intended to keep an eye on the back hallway to see when they emerged, but between the men wanting to dance and buy me drinks and Pam wanting to talk about the engagement party, I was too distracted. The men were disgusting. I hadn't spoken up when Pam was explaining it to Eric because I was afraid of what he would do, but she was dead (ha ha) on. The men _did_ see the ring on my finger but since they were only there for sex, they really didn't care. Well except for the second man; he had seen me with Eric and thought he would be saving me if he could get me away from him and out the world of "demons."

At least Pam had been amused by the entire situation. However, I wasn't sure if she found amusement in my annoyance, the men's stupidity, knowing it would irritate Eric, or a combination of the three. Either way, between that and the party planning, she almost seemed as though she were having fun, unlike the last time I had seen her. She still scared me a bit; especially since she had no qualms about baring her fangs and hissing at anyone that annoyed her, which was pretty much everybody that had come up to our booth. She tried to tell me that it was all part of the act but I wasn't sure that she didn't actually enjoy herself, at least with that aspect of the stereotype.

We didn't get to do much planning, but since I knew I'd be back up tonight we weren't pressed to get everything done last night. Pam had said she would make the arrangements with the hotel, which was the most important part really, once Eric returned from his meeting. We did bounce a few ideas around before Eric came back to the booth. I quickly decided I would let Pam take the reins for most of the planning since she clearly knew how to throw a proper party for vamps. She had some really great ideas, too.

I felt bad for asking Eric later in the evening if I could rest in his office, and even worse for falling asleep. I was worried that he would have been upset about it all, but he hadn't minded and even seemed as though he actually cared about me getting the rest. That part shocked me. I could find no reason to explain his concern for me, and certainly not this soon. I knew he had been intrigued by me from my first night at Fangtasia with Bill, but I had assumed it was because of the telepathy, and then later I figured out that it was only because he had learned who I was, his future fiancée. But interest doesn't elicit caring. I was stuck with him whether I liked it or not. It confused me as to why he would bother to care that I _liked_ being stuck with him or about my well-being in general.

Perhaps it was all simply because life would be easier if we actually got along with each other. Even I knew that much, which is why I had been attempting to play nice, for the most part.

However, there was no way I was backing down on my morals. I knew it had angered Eric that I wanted him to turn humans over to the police when they were involved with things, but I couldn't live with myself if I knew he was torturing them.

I knew there was nothing I could do for any vampires found going against Eric. One, I knew there was no way for the police to overpower or contain vampires. Two, Eric would seem weak if he did not handle defiant vampires by their own laws and punishments.

I was relieved when Eric relented to my wishes about turning humans over to the police. For a minute or two I really thought he wasn't going to. But apparently, he can be reasoned with and my arguments made sense to him.

Oh! But then we had a few minutes left before the imposed time limit was over. I will never point out free time again when I'm with Eric. He too easily finds ways to amuse himself, including tormenting me. I didn't know what to make of what he was doing when he stalked me and then pinned me against his desk. I had been pretty sure he wouldn't bite me in his office, but then what was he trying to accomplish? Was he really just seeing how worked up he could get me?

Well, he succeeded. My damn, traitorous body. I was carefully trying to avoid anything physical with Eric. First, I did not know him well enough to do those sorts of things yet, whether we were engaged or not. Secondly, and just as important if not more so, Niall wanted me to stay a virgin until the wedding night. But clearly, Eric didn't get that memo. But perhaps he did but didn't care. He seemed very much like a man who made his own rules, or at least chose which ones he would follow.

Just when he got his wish and I was very turned on and actually found myself wanting to be kissed by him, he stood up and walked away. Of course, _lucky me_, he could tell how disappointed I was from his unfair advantage of knowing how I'm feeling, and he had the audacity to laugh at me. The man was infuriating! Perhaps he wasn't interested in me in that way and just wanted to see how interested I was? I made the decision then that I would control myself better around him. I wasn't going to simply be some pawn for his stupid over-blown ego. He had enough women, and even men, falling at his feet to help his precious ego out if he really needed it.

I was determined to not let him get to me in that way anymore. Sure, he was attractive, but I wasn't going to be toyed with by anyone, let alone by the man who was supposed to at least try to be kind to me because he was my fiancé.

Obviously though, my body didn't get the memo that we weren't going to react to Eric's advances. It thoroughly enjoyed his kisses along my neck in the hotel room before he bit down. Surprisingly, he didn't take advantage of that particular opportunity to toy with me further once I was already turned on from his kisses. But perhaps he didn't want to irritate me while I was allowing him to have my blood.

I had gotten myself worked up and was now annoyed and very confused about Eric, so I decided I had soaked up enough sun and went inside to begin getting ready for work. I wanted to get there a little bit early so I could talk to Sam and give him my two weeks notice. I got dressed and was on my way in under 30 minutes.

Right before I got out of the car, the light hit my engagement ring. I debated on whether to leave it on or not as I would no doubt get lots of questions about it. Since they had yet to find Maudette and Dawn's murderer, I decided it was better to just take the ring off. Now was not the best time to announce to my small little town that I'd be marrying a vampire, even if they already thought that I was crazy.

Sam was sitting behind his desk when I walked into his office.

"Hey Sook, you're here early," Sam greeted me.

"Hey, Sam. Yeah. I need to talk to you about something before my shift starts."

"Well then, have a seat. What's up?"

I sat down in a chair across from Sam and explained, "I've got to give you my two weeks notice, Sam."

"What?" he asked, looking a little crestfallen. "Do you mind if I ask why? You're a great person and deserve far better than working in this place, cher. But I guess I'm just curious as to why I'm losing my best waitress."

His words touched me. "Well, I'm moving to Shreveport in two weeks and the commute would be a little difficult," I joked. I wanted to lighten the mood a little bit. Sam had always been a great boss, and for the most part, Merlotte's had been a fun place to work. I was a little sad that I had to quit, so I was trying to cheer myself up. But it wasn't working too well.

"To Shreveport? Are you going to start going to school at LSU's campus there? That's great Sook! What are you going to study?"

Oh, how I wish that was the reason. "No Sam. I'm, um, well I don't want this to get around just yet because of the murders, but I'm engaged to Eric Northman. He owns that vampire bar, Fangtasia, and he thinks it would be best if I moved in with him for my own safety."

Sam sat back heavily in his chair and exhaled as though he had been kicked in the chest. I gave him a few minutes to process everything. Finally, he said, "Sookie, I didn't even know you were dating anyone, let alone Eric Northman. How much do you know about him? He's not really the romantic type. He's better known as someone that is not to be messed with."

"And how would you know anything about him Sam Merlotte?" I retorted back defensively. Sam was a true shifter, he could shift into any animal that he wanted to, but he had never admitted it to me. I kept his secret. I didn't hold it against him that he had kept it from me since I had never told him that I was a telepath or one-eighth faerie or even knew about the supernatural world. His words against Eric shouldn't have been surprising because I knew all too well the prejudices between the Supe races - werewolves, other were animals, and shifters did not like vampires and vice versa. I knew Sam meant well, but his words still upset me for some reason.

"I just do, Sook. How long have you been seeing him?"

"Long enough."

"How well do you really know him, Sookie?"

"Are we really going to play Twenty Questions, Sam? Does it matter? I'm engaged, and I will be moving to Shreveport in two weeks, and I won't be changing my mind about either one. Okay?" I tried to keep my tone gentle, but I needed to be firm too. This wasn't really something I could freely talk about.

"Fine, fine," Sam sighed. "I hate to see you go, and I hate to see you married to a vampire. I just hope you know what you are doing. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know you mean well, Sam, but I do know what I'm doing. I should get out to my tables now."

"Alright, cher."

Sam gradually went back to acting normally around me over the course of the night, which was a huge relief.

I rushed home when I got off of work, knowing that I wanted to shower before heading up to Shreveport. I showered then threw on dark wash jeans, a light blue silk top, and a pair of blue sandals. I figured that I had made my first and second impressions and now I was just going to be comfortable, though I'd still make sure I looked nice. I remembered to slip my engagement ring back on before I walked out the door.

As I drove by Bill's house, I felt a pang of grief. It had hurt that he had ignored me last night, and I was really hoping that he wasn't going to stop being my friend because of my engagement to Eric.

I arrived at Fangtasia and went to the back door as Eric had instructed me to do from now on. Just as I walked up to the door, Pam opened it and greeted me. "Good evening, dear Sookie."

"Hi. How are you tonight, Pam?"

"Well, as usual. I am looking forward to our party planning. The Hilton confirmed that they were available on the 17th, so all we have left to do is to decide on decorations and such. We'll use the DJ from here since the bar will be shut down that night."

"Oh. Okay. Sounds like you have everything pretty much planned out."

"I do. But Eric has informed me that this is your party, not mine, so I am to run everything through you, and you have the final say on everything."

"Well, okay. I liked all of your ideas from last night though, so I'm sure I'll like your new ideas just as much."

Pam led me to Eric's office. Like last night, he rose from sitting behind his desk to come greet me, lightly kissing my forehead.

"Good evening, Sookie. I trust you had a good day?"

"Considering I slept for most of it, I guess so. I told my boss that I could only work for two more weeks."

"Ah, I am glad to hear it. I would be more pleased if you quit working there immediately, but at least you will no longer work there by the time you move into my house. I trust everything went smoothly?"

"Kinda." Eric raised an eyebrow at me so I continued, "Well, Sam wanted to know why, so I told him that you and I are engaged and I would be moving up here. He doesn't like you very much, but I figure that's just because he's a shifter. He didn't argue with me too much about quitting. Just wanted to make sure I would be okay. He's really a nice guy."

"Ah, that's right. He _is_ a shifter, all the more reason for you to no longer be employed by him."

I simply rolled my eyes in response. I was not going to get into a "Who is the superior supernatural being?" debate with Eric.

"Moving on. What's the plan for tonight?" I asked.

"I have some business to take care of first, but I know Pam wanted to take you to the hotel so that you could see the space she reserved," Eric replied.

"Oh okay. Um, you want to just meet me at the hotel whenever you are ready then?" I asked. It felt a little weird to talk about Eric drinking my blood so openly, especially in front of someone else, even Pam. I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to it really, but hopefully after I was living in his house we wouldn't need to schedule when he fed from me.

The night went smoothly. Pam and I got most of the party planning finished. All that was left was to send out the invitations, which we would do once they arrived the next night. Apparently, Pam telling the company it was a job for Eric Northman and there would be a large bonus if it was done more quickly was all that was needed to expedite our order.

Eric arrived at the hotel room shortly after Pam had left. I gave him my work schedule and we settled when he would come down to Bon Temps. I had the next two days off and then worked the lunch shift for two days, so I'd have to do the drive to Shreveport. But after that I worked the late shift for three days straight, which meant Eric would be coming to Gran's house.

The next few days went as smoothly as could be expected. Claudine and I went shopping and found my dress for the engagement party, and Pam and I got all of the invites for the party sent out. Eric was getting a bit more _touchy-feely_ than the first time he drank from me, but he still didn't cross any major lines.

Of course, he still found ways to torment me by trying to arouse me outside of when he took my blood. He also clearly did not think there was such a thing as personal space. Or, more than likely, he simply didn't care that I had any. My body still refused to listen to me and instead gave Eric exactly the reaction he was looking for. It was rather annoying.

I was beginning to get used to Eric's advances though, and last night I had actually laughed at Eric a few times when he was trying to seduce me. Surprisingly, he wasn't offended at all, but seemed even more pleased. Perhaps he had just been trying to make me more comfortable around him? If that's all he was doing, it was an odd way of doing so, but evidently it worked. I was still a little nervous around him, but seeing him everyday and the fact that he behaved himself when he drank from me, helped a lot towards being less nervous.

The only thing that bothered me over those few days was that I never saw Bill. I expected him to at least come over to Gran's house after I had gotten home but he never did. Although, it was possible that he was out or didn't know when I arrived home. I hoped he wasn't avoiding me because of my engagement to Eric.

It was the night of my first late shift at Merlotte's since the engagement, and I was a nervous wreck. Eric would be seeing my house and meeting my grandmother for the first time. This time, Gran did not have to force me to clean. Although, I don't really know why I was so willing to do so, since when we thought Bill was my betrothed I could've cared less. Regardless of the why, I cleaned my heart out all day.

I arrived at work just before the dinner rush at 5 P.M. I knew 11 P.M. would come very quickly since I really did not want it to. However, I was still shocked when I looked up and saw Bill walk into the bar. I hadn't realized that it had been that late. I was relieved to see that he wasn't avoiding me after all. That thought lasted for all of 30 seconds as he sat down in Tara's section. Clearly, he _was_ avoiding me. But if that was the case, why come to the bar at all?

One of my customers called for another round so I didn't have much time to think about Bill's presence or his choice in sections.

The next hour flew by, and it was 11 P.M. before I knew it. I considered trying to talk to Bill before I left but Eric had said he would be at my place at 11:30 P.M., and I wanted to shower the grease and stale smoke smell off of me before he arrived. I'd have to talk to Bill later.

I had just pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt when there was a knock at the door. I rushed to answer it, greeting Eric and inviting him in. Eric came through the door just as Gran entered the living room with a couple of glasses of iced tea for her and me and a Tru Blood, the most common synthetic blood on the market, for Eric. I made the introductions and then we all sat – Gran in her favorite recliner and Eric and I on the sofa. I sat down before Eric and he took the opportunity to sit very close to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I had gotten used to it at Fangtasia but it was a little weird at first since we were in my home and sitting with Gran.

"Thank you for allowing me into your home so late, ma'am," Eric began.

"Oh, don't worry about it. This is what is most convenient for you. And please call me Adele. I won't be able to stay up with you kids for too long, but I am happy to finally meet you." _Kids?_ Gran did remember that Eric was over a thousand years old, right? I looked at Eric and he had an amused smirk on his face. I hoped that meant he wasn't offended by Gran calling him a kid. "Sookie has told me a lot about you," Gran continued. _Yeah, that he's gorgeous but worse than Jason when it comes to women._

"She has, has she? I hope it has all been good?" Eric inquired. Was he seriously fishing for more ego-boosting material? He never seemed to quit.

"For the most part, yes. It does seem as though you are a bit of a ladies' man though, and now that I see you I can certainly tell why. But I am glad to hear you will be giving up those ways for Sookie. She's a special girl, and I don't just say that because I have to. She has a big heart. She deserves to be treated with respect."

I almost spit out my iced tea! I never expected Gran to be so forward about Eric's reputation as a ladies' man. I knew she wanted to make sure he treated me properly, but did she really have to be quite so blunt about it? Oh, who was I kidding? This was Gran, so yes, she did have to be that blunt.

"Of course, Adele. I have discovered for myself over the short time I have known her that Sookie is indeed very special."

Really? He was most likely only referring to my telepathy, whereas, Gran was not. Though, he may have also been referring to my faerie blood. Oh well. He was doing his best to charm my grandmother, and by the pleased look on her face, he was succeeding.

"I am glad to hear that you agree," Gran replied. "So Eric, tell me about yourself. I realize that vampires are private beings, but perhaps you'd be willing to share some of your past – where you've lived and when?"

Hook. Line. Sinker. Eric's ego had a captive audience, and Gran was in heaven. The woman who loved history had a treasure trove of it sitting in her living room. The more Eric was willing to share about his thousand plus years on this Earth, the more Gran would fall in love with him.

I simply sat back and listened. Gran hung on his every word for about an hour and then pardoned herself and headed to bed. I really couldn't blame her all that much for her curiosity. Eric certainly had an interesting past. It was easy to get caught up in his stories about Europe, China, and India. That was just what he got through tonight.

"Your grandmother is a delightful woman," Eric said as soon as Gran had closed her bedroom door.

"Yes, well, it's easy to think that when she feeds your ego so well."

Eric chuckled before replying, "Are you suggesting she is not pleasant?"

"Nope. She is absolutely wonderful. I'm just saying that all you have to go off of is her feeding that ego of yours because you happened across one of her favorite subjects - history. Hmmm. Come to think of it, you didn't happen across it at all. You just happened to be old enough to have a vast history and are willing to share it with her."

"It is refreshing to find someone that is interested in the history I have seen. Were you bored, dear Sookie?"

"Actually, I wasn't. It was very enjoyable hearing your stories. I hope you'll continue to share them with me, and I know Gran would love to hear more as well."

"Of course," Eric replied. With vampire speed, Eric grabbed my legs and dragged them across him so I ended up sitting in his lap and asked, "What shall we do now that we are alone?" He nuzzled his face into my neck and ran a hand along the outside of my leg, from ankle to hip.

"Seriously, Eric? Are you really trying to get fresh with me while my grandmother sleeps in the next room? Actually, she's probably not even asleep yet," I said as I tried to climb off his lap.

He wasn't having that though and locked one arm around my waist and the other across my legs. "Get fresh? I don't know this term."

"It means making out or hitting on someone," I sighed.

"Ah," Eric smirked. "Well, then I suppose I am getting fresh. As long as you are quiet, it would not matter. But perhaps it's best if we go outside." With that, Eric scooped me up and carried me outside to the front porch and sat us down on the porch swing. "Now, where were we?"

"Geez. If I didn't know better I would think that sex and blood were the only things you thought about."

"They are two of my three favorite activities," Eric said into my neck.

"That doesn't surprise me. But what's the third?"

"Fighting, of course. The thrill of battle is exhilarating," he responded, pulling his head back to look at me. He definitely liked fighting. I could see the excited glint he got in his eyes just from thinking about it.

"I'm going to take your word for it. I've never been in a fight or a battle and I don't want to."

"But you have trained to fight, have you not?"

"Yes, a little bit. I know some basics. Great grandfather wanted me to be able to defend myself but he did not see a need for me to learn anything offensive. I have other tricks too if I really need them."

"Good to know. Hopefully, you will never need to use any of it, but you never know," Eric said, returning to my neck and kissing it. It had been less than a week, but it was almost becoming automatic for me to tilt my head as soon as Eric began kissing my neck. His fangs pierced the skin and he began to drink.

I had usually been standing when Eric drank from me, but in this position Eric seemed to be able to pull me even closer, and I felt along my leg just how excited Eric got when he drank from me. And oh my, he certainly felt proportional, or more. I suddenly got really nervous. Did he expect that to ever fit inside me? Oh that was going to hurt. At least I had a year before going through that sort of pain.

I tended to ignore thinking about the sex part of the marriage, but feeling Eric's hardness brought the reality to the surface. My avoidance wasn't so much about not wanting to have sex, oh boy did I, but the thought itself was daunting. In light of this new information of how big Eric was, it was even scarier.

In some ways Eric still made me nervous. I had opened up to him some as he had been nothing but kind to me so far. But he was definitely a man that took what he wanted. Although, most of the time he made you think that you wanted to give it.

It all made me wonder how he would be in bed. Would he be gentle with me or would he just take what he wanted? The idea was unnerving. I was trying to calm myself down before I got upset because I knew Eric could feel my emotions. Apparently, I wasn't fast enough.

Eric finished drinking and licked the wounds so they would heal shut. As he pricked his finger and ran it across the marks he asked, "Sookie, what's wrong? You've never gotten scared before. Did I hurt you?"

"No. It was just something I thought about."

"What did you think about that made you so upset?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," I replied, embarrassed. I definitely wasn't talking to Eric about sex.

"Sookie, look at me." Once I obeyed and looked up at him, he continued, "Why won't you tell me? It's my duty to protect you, if something makes you fearful and nervous, I should know about it. Why are you embarrassed to tell me?"

"It's nothing you need to protect me from," _at least for a year._ "It's just something I thought about but I'll get over it. It's no big deal. Please just let it go," I replied, climbing off his lap. I needed to put some space between us.

"Very well. Clearly, this is not something you wish to speak about at the moment. Though, I do hope the time comes soon when you feel you can trust me with anything. I'll let you have your space for now. Thank you for an enjoyable evening, Sookie." He opened the front door for me and then kissed me on the forehead as I walked passed him to go into the house.

I locked the door once I was inside and headed towards my room. After quickly changing into my nightgown, I curled up in bed. I decided I would call Claudine when I woke up the next morning. Perhaps I was just overreacting and she would tell me that I was being silly. Really I was hoping she could make the whole sex thing a lot less scary.


End file.
